With Series Loss to Cavs, Bulls Season Ends Sooner Than Planned

They finally had it all together. They brought in their star rookie, they signed a 2-time NBA champion, and they had their MVP back to health. Everything was in front of them. Literally everything. And yet, the Eastern Conference Finals will not feature the Chicago Bulls. Why? It's quite simple really: the Chicago Bulls just didn't want a successful season bad enough. Were there individuals on the team that had high expectations? Sure. After all, Jimmy Butler played the best defensive series against LeBron James of anyone to ever guard the future Hall of Famer. Heck, every player in that locker room continually stressed their belief that this team could be great. And in all honesty, it could have been. It SHOULD have been. But the thing about great teams is that they're made through their play on the court, not by the names listed on the roster.

One of the many things that is so hard to believe about this enigma of a team is that they won over 50 games and can still be considered a failure. Is that "f" word too strong? Not really. Take a look at this season and what has transpired over the last 8-9 months: big-time wins over Golden State, San Antonio, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City. Horrific losses to the likes of Detroit, Utah, Charlotte, and the Los Angeles Lakers. If bipolar doesn't describe this year's team, then let me know if there is a more applicable word. The series of events can only bring up two simple, one-word questions: "Why?" and "How?"

Butler's ascension is one of the few highlights for the Bulls this year

This team had a 2-time champion and future Hall of Famer (Pau Gasol), a former (and now healthy) MVP (Derrick Rose), the reigning Defensive Player of the Year (Joakim Noah), a perennial 6th Man of the Year contender (Taj Gibson), the runner-up for Rookie of the Year (Nikola Mirotic), and this year's Most Improved Player (Jimmy Butler). All of these players, with a steady and more-often-than-not productive bench were under the influence of the former Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau. With that lineup, with that talent, with that depth, this team was a failure. And honestly, we now are forced to wonder how much they really care.


This is not about saying the Bulls had a horrible season and this is not to say that locker room is full of quitters. But when the lights were on, and the stage was set, this Bulls team never figured it out. Why? They waited three years for their point guard to be healthy. They got rid of seasoned veterans so that they could develop their young stars and they had arguably one of the best off-seasons in the league. Everything they worked for and everything Tom Thibodeau dedicated his time to building was ruined this season. The intensity and will to shock the world was gone, the defensive and hard-nosed identity vanished, and the sense of urgency never appeared present when it was needed most. To make it all worse, the players knew they lacked these things all year. If you read any articles or followed this team at all, every loss would be followed by quotes like "We didn't have the intensity tonight. They outplayed us." or "Our defense is not what it used to be and that needs to change." Okay, so it's not like the long-scoring droughts or losses where the opposing team scores over 100 points were sprung on them all of the sudden. This team knew what it had to do to be great and they never felt the need to execute. That is why this team was a failure.

I will give all the credit in the world to the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. While the Bucks were ran out of their own gym in Game 6, they were never once intimidated by the Bulls. They saw their weaknesses and did everything they could to expose them. The Cavaliers on the other hand, were a different story entirely. It's no secret that any team led by LeBron James is an automatic title contender, yet this team was without Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving was not his All-Star self due to a number of injuries. On top of that, LeBron did not have an exceptional series minus Game 5. Jimmy Butler took LeBron out of almost every game, as far as scoring is concerned, and forced him into a couple poor shooting nights. Jimmy Butler did his job, and yet his teammates let players such as Iman Shumpert, Tristan Thompson, and Matthew Dellevadova out-work them.

The Cavs "Big Three" was not made up of James, Love, and Irving. It was made up of the three aforementioned players that came into the series knowing they would have to shoulder the load with Love being out, JR Smith serving a 2-game suspension, and Irving playing through injury. And to their credit, they showed out. But to look at this team of mediocre bench players that were thrown into the fire, and to look at the team the Bulls trotted out to contest them, it goes to show just how soft this Bulls team was. Again, the Cavs role players were phenomenal this series. But they shouldn't have been, not if the Bulls played like a typical Thibs team used to play.

Thibodeau will likely be fired in the coming weeks

So now it's over. It's finally over. There are no more nights of guessing which team would show up to play. There are no more injury reports to be released before tip-off. There are no more meaningless post-game quotes about needing to play harder. It's over, and to some extent that's a good feeling. It wasn't fun to watch this team under-perform and appear not to care. There is no reason this team could not have won 62-65 games with the lineup and coaching they had. In some regards this team had more to it than the 2011 team that won 66 games and went to the Eastern Conference Finals. But that 2011 team had an identity and they had a purpose. They knew they needed to perform every single night to chase that championship dream. They wanted to be great. The 2014-2015 Bulls did not want it bad enough, and it showed on an almost-nightly basis.

While it's sad to see a team not recognize its potential, it's even more aggravating that this is the way the Thibodeau era will most likely come to a close. Everything Thibs stood for, everything he built, is now gone. The players lost their fire, and with the rough relationship between Thibs and the front office, it appears that he will be gone very soon. And while Thibodeau is a top three coach in the NBA, I'm excited for him to coach for a new team. He deserves better from both a front office and from a team. He weathered the storm through all of the injuries and all of the doubt these past few years and still managed to make the Bulls a tough out in the playoffs. He had total buy-in from each and every player and gave the Bulls their best chances at a title since Michael Jordan left. Thibs did his part, he made this team, and yet he will be shown the door with nothing to show for it. Bulls fans will remember his successes, but the league and history will not. This team should have been the best in the East, but they weren't. The team that should have been the Incredibulls quickly became the Laughabulls when that final buzzer sounded in the Madhouse last night.

Rose's Toughness Called Into Question

Derrick Rose is an individual that receives a lot of recognition on this blog as well as from the worldwide media. He is perhaps under one of the bigger spotlights in all of sports due to his continued recovery from two major knee surgeries. Fans questioned his toughness multiple times after he chose to sit out the entire season two years ago, and now here we sit, twelve games into the season, and Derrick Rose has missed seven of those games.

Rose has missed 7 of 12 games this season

There are multiple reasons for Rose's absence, the latest being a minor hamstring injury he suffered late in the Bulls' win over Toronto last week. While also receiving treatment for two sprained ankles, it's safe to say Rose has been battered and bruised in the first month of the season. Clearly he's not 100 percent and he's got his injuries that he's dealing with, but the worst part about all of this is that it seems the injuries are becoming a bigger deal than they should be. Derrick Rose needs to get back on the floor.


Obviously, there are two sides of the spectrum here. There are those Chicago fans that believe Rose should take his time and wait till he's fully recovered, and there are those that believe it's time to take the toughness up a few levels and play as soon as possible. While it's not exactly hard to realize the Bulls' organization is being cautious because they're paying Rose nearly 19 million dollars this year, it's also hard to accept the fact that they're comfortable paying him that much to sit in a suit and tie for more than half the games played thus far. Clearly if a player is injured then he should sit, regardless of who it is. Yet Derrick Rose is waiting till he's back to 100% with each setback he experiences. That's where the problem lies.

This is the NBA. You'd be hard pressed to find any player that plays a meaningful amount of minutes that's at 100 percent each night. This is the best basketball league in the world, you're going to have bumps, bruises, tweaks, etc. It's to be expected. This is the issue with Derrick Rose's absence. He has chosen to sit for three straight games now after he himself described the injury as minor. Is it so bad that he couldn't have given twenty minutes against Sacramento last night? There was no MRI needed, this is not a muscle tear, it's a minor injury that's causing Rose's mental, as well as physical, toughness to be questioned. And rightfully so.

Rose's health has never been the same since his first major injury

This is Chicago. This is where sports icons like Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, and Carlton Fisk have played and have emulated Chicago toughness to a tee. You battle through injuries, and you do what it takes to win. If that means giving what you can give despite a little discomfort then so be it. How can Rose sit in the same locker room with guys like Joakim Noah who played the entire playoff stretch two years ago with plantar fasciitis, an injury that ultimately ended the career of Yao Ming? How can Rose be okay with missing numerous games when Jimmy Butler has played through a sprained thumb and is now battling a shoulder injury night in and night out while still managing to play like the front runner for this year's Most Improved award? I understand that Noah and Butler haven't dealt with two major knee surgeries in back-to-back seasons, but if you want to win a championship, if you want to be great, if you want to back up the talk of bringing Chicago its seventh title then you have to play through a little pain. That's what the great players do.

Derrick Rose doesn't care what I, or anyone else, thinks about this situation and I respect him for that. I'm not jealous of him for having to go through all this speculation and doubt on a daily basis, but at the same time he has now brought this on himself. Hamstring, knee, and calf injuries are a part of coming back from the surgeries he has undergone, so why is this as big of a deal as he is making it? He's 26, obviously he doesn't want to jeopardize his career, and in no way am I saying Rose should be playing every single game, but there comes a time when toughness has to take over. I don't question Rose's dedication at all; he's done everything right in recovering from his surgeries. However, I am at the point where I question his toughness.

The Bulls have built a championship-caliber team around Rose. The organization underwent quite the makeover when they traded one of the best players to ever put on a Bulls uniform in Luol Deng and now they've added Pau Gasol along with picking up two rookies with a lot of potential in Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic. This is the Bulls year to win. They're a good team without Derrick Rose, but with him they're great. He is the face of this organization and they will go as far as he will take them. I understand the tweaks and soreness and I understand the fear of another major major injury, but it's time for Derrick Rose to toughen up.

Bulls, Pacers, and Suns Headline 2014 Awards Finalists

The regular season is quickly drawing to a close as sixteen teams continue to battle for playoff position. The year has been full of drama both good and bad and the anticipation for the postseason is mounting each and every day. And while the postseason will take about two and a half months by itself, these past six months have given us a hint of the players that are most deserving of the individual honors presented each year. Here's a look at the finalists for this year's MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved, 6th Man of the Year, and Coach of the Year.

MVP

Kevin Durant: At this point in the season, how could you go against KD? He's posted numbers that are rivaled only by some of the best to ever play the game and is currently on a streak of scoring 25 points in a game for 38 straight games. The person he's chasing in order to break the record? Michael Jordan's mark of 40 straight games. Not exactly bad company to be in. On top of Durant's ridiculous and consistent output, his efforts have helped him average 32.2 points per game while grabbing 7.5 rebounds per game and dishing out 5.7 assists per game. Not to mention Durant is shooting 51% from the field, 41% from three point range, and 87% from the charity stripe. Even without Russell Westbrook being on the floor this season, Durant managed to keep the Thunder atop the Western Conference standings and has proved to be the best player in the league this year.

LeBron James: There won't be a season that goes by that LeBron James won't be in the top three in the MVP race. This year is no different. James is attempting to capture his fifth MVP award in the past six seasons (with Chicago's Derrick Rose stealing the crown in 2011) and has once again put up the same ridiculous numbers he always has. With 26.7 points per game, 6.9 boards per game, and 6.6 assists per game, LeBron once again has the Heat holding on to the number one seed in the East. While Durant has occupied the spotlight for much of the season, it's no secret that LeBron James has had his eye-opening performances as well. Who could forget his 61-point performance this past month? ESPN certainly couldn't, it managed to be a topic of conversation on Sportscenter for a solid week. Nonetheless, it was an impressive performance and arguably one of the best individual performances of the season. LeBron will fall short of the MVP award this season, but it took a historic season from Durant to dethrone the King.

Blake Griffin: Wait...what? Blake Griffin is a legitimate MVP candidate? Believe it. This season Griffin has gone from just a freak athlete to a freak athlete with an all-around game. The alley-oops and put-back dunks will always be what people see in the highlights, but Griffin's improvements in his jump shot and ball handling have not received the attention they deserve. The Los Angeles Clippers' power forward is pouring in 24 points per game and snagging just under 10 rebounds as well and while the individual stats are nice, Griffin has helped this team become a legitimate contender in the West, not just a highlight reel for Sportscenter. He won't win the MVP award, but Blake Griffin has definitely established himself as one of the most dominant all-around players in the league.

Joakim Noah: The Chicago Bulls season seemed all but lost to those outside of the Bulls' fan base after starting point guard and former MVP Derrick Rose went down with yet another knee injury. Throw that in with the Luol Deng trade and the Bulls were seemingly done for the year. However, no one could have predicted that Joakim Noah would emerge as a deserving MVP candidate. While the addition of DJ Augustin and the overall play of the rest of the team is something nothing short of admirable, Joakim Noah has been the driving force behind a well-balanced attack for the Bulls. He has earned the title as the most dynamic center in the game and is the best passing big man the league has to offer. Noah is currently averaging 12.5 points per game while reeling in 11.1 rebounds per game. He is tied with Kevin Durant for second place in terms of most triple-doubles this season with three though he has flirted with that achievement numerous times. If the award was truly based off of how valuable a player is to his team, Noah would have to be the recipient if not barely falling short behind Durant. Yet with the award being based off statistics, Noah's MVP campaign will not be complete this season.

Defensive Player of the Year:

Joakim Noah: The fact that Noah is top four for two awards is a testament to his improvement this season. He is the anchor of a stifling Bulls defense that is currently second in the league for fewest points against on average with only allowing 91.9 points a game. Might I add the Indiana Pacers are first with 91.8 points against per game, merely .1 of a point difference. With that in mind, Noah has averaged 1.5 blocks per game and has taken on the best in the league on the defensive side of the ball. Not many 6'11 centers can be isolated against LeBron James on the three point line and get a stop not once, but twice as Noah did just a few weeks ago when the Heat visited the United Center. When all is said and done and the dust has settled, Joakim Noah has earned this year's Defensive Player of the Year award.

Roy Hibbert: The 7'2 center for the Indiana Pacers has improved every year he  has been in the league and has certainly played a major role in the Pacers' success up to this point. Even though he may be a better rim protector than Joakim Noah, Hibbert's defensive presence is not as effective. Hibbert does average 2.3 blocks per game but his defensive rebound average is only 4.2 per game as opposed to Joakim Noah's 6 a game. Again, Hibbert may have the advantage when playing defense in the paint because of his bigger frame, but Joakim Noah is more versatile and has the statistics to prove it. By no means is Hibbert not deserving of the award, but this year the trophy will not belong to him.

Paul George: It's telling that the Pacers have two players that have made the final four candidates. This year we have seen Paul George emerge as one of the best two-way players in the league, if not the best. George has the task of essentially guarding the opposing team's best player night in and night out and has already shown us that he can hang with the league's elite. He has been as big a part of the Pacers' league-leading 91.8 points against per game as Hibbert has and he even averages more defensive rebounds per game than the Indiana big man (5.2). The 23 year-old is also playing with active hands as he is averaging nearly 2 steals per game. There is no doubt that George has evolved into an elite defender and it is definitely justifiable that he will end the season as a contender for the honor.

Andre Iguodala: The Golden State forward has flown under the radar in this year's race simply because his team has not received the attention of the once-dominant Pacers or the ailing Chicago Bulls. Nonetheless, Andre Iguodala has been a force on the defensive side of the ball. Much like George he is averaging more defensive rebounds per game than the 7'2 center Hibbert with 4.6 per game and is right on George's heels in the steals column with 1.7 per game. Iguodala has been a major acquisition to the Warriors' defense and has helped keep opponents to 99 points per game on average which is currently 8th of the league's 30 teams. There's no doubt Iguodala is one of the better defenders the league has to offer, but "Andre Iguodala" and "Defensive Player of the Year" won't be synonymous at the conclusion of this season.

Rookie of the Year

Michael Carter-Williams: The former Syracuse guard stormed into the league posing a triple-double threat on nearly a nightly basis to begin the season. That was also when the Sixers still seemed to be  a playoff team. Now, Carter-Williams has come down to earth and his team has gone even lower than that. And while the Rookie of the Year is an individual award, the success of the team has to factor into the equation, and that is exactly what will keep MCW from walking away with the award. He has put up great numbers for his rookie campaign averaging 16.5 points per game, 6.3 assists per game, and 2 steals while being the center piece of what will hopefully be a better Sixers team in the future. It's sad to see Carter-Williams play such great basketball for such a downtrodden team, which is why it is sad to see the lack of success in Philadelphia be the determining factor in Carter-Williams missing out on this award.

Victor Oladipo: Orlando is not much better than Philadelphia which may make the team's success not as much of a factor as I perceive it to be. However, Oladipo has come in and produced in every way right from the start averaging 14 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Not bad for an undersized rookie shooting guard. It is incredibly tough to choose between Carter-Williams and Oladipo but I believe Oladipo will walk away with the Rookie of the Year honors because he has put on a better all-around performance. This has ultimately led to more success for his team, even if that means his team has won 21 games as opposed to Philadelphia's 16.

Tim Hardaway: It's unfair that Hardaway's rookie campaign has been lost among the underachieving season of the New York Knicks. Between Carmelo Anthony's upcoming free agency, Mike Woodson's job security (or lack there of), Phil Jackson's hiring, and JR Smith's antics, it's easy for a rookie like Hardaway to get lost in all of that. But don't be fooled, even though the Knicks have suffered this season, they have a bright spot in the former Michigan guard. Hardaway has managed to average 10 points a game and just under one assist off the bench. Not bad numbers for a rookie, all things considered. Not to mention Carter-Williams and Oladipo have had the luxury of being consistent starters. Hardaway doesn't have the numbers to trump the two aforementioned players, but his ceiling is high.

Trey Burke: The fact that Trey Burke missed a large chunk of the season and is still a top four candidate speaks to how weak this draft class was. Nonetheless, Burke has still managed to put together a nice rookie campaign which has included a game-winning three in the month of March. Sound familiar Michigan fans? Burke is currently averaging 12.5 points and 5.3 assists per game while shooting a respectable 89% from the free throw line. The sad thing is that Burke's absence for the first few months of the season will ultimately keep him from winning Rookie of the Year. But one can only imagine what he will be like when he sees a full season of action next year. The Jazz are a young bunch, but with Burke at the helm they might just be alright down the road.

Most Improved
Markieff Morris: The former Kansas star has had a breakout season this year and has helped put the Phoenix Suns in position to contend for a playoff spot. Morris headlines a young Phoenix squad and has enjoyed personal success averaging nearly 14 points and 6 rebounds a game while shooting 49% from the field. His points per game average has increased by nearly six points and his rebounding average is up one more rebound from the previous year. Think one rebound isn't that big of a deal? Ask the San Antonio Spurs how it would have felt to grab one more rebound in the last seconds of game six of last year's NBA Finals. Morris really has been a pleasant surprise for the Suns organization and if the improvement continues, he may just be a very, very valuable asset to Phoenix in the future.

Gerald Green: Much like Blake Griffin, Green used to be known solely for his highlight reel dunks. And while the constant replaying of the dunks these two players put down is perfectly justifiable, Green, like Griffin, has shown that he has more in his arsenal than just an explosive vertical. Green seemed to only take up roster space during his days in Boston, Houston, Minnesota, Dallas, New Jersey, and Indiana. The fact that he is 28 and has played on seven teams in what is now a seven year career shows that his production was never quite there. Yet here we are in April and Green is on a Suns team that is flirting with a playoff berth. He is averaging 15.5 points per game which more than doubles his average from the previous season (7.0 points per game in Indiana). Not only has his scoring average gone up but so has his rebounding (2.4 in Indiana to 3.2 in Phoenix) and his free throw percentage (80% in Indiana to 85% in Phoenix). Morris and Green both have the Suns looking at a bright future, but neither Phoenix player will be in possession of the Most Improved Player award this season.

Lance Stephenson: It's hard to turn away the guy who is leading the league in triple-doubles. Throughout the Pacers' season it has shown that when Lance Stephenson is on his game, so are the Pacers. He has worked his way into a starting role and has shown hints of maturity, though they are few and far between. However, Stephenson's 14 points, 4.6 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game is nothing short of impressive. Every one of his averages, with the exception of blocks and steals, has gone up since the previous season and even though he is not often talked about by the media because of the attention Paul George and Roy Hibbert attract, it's no secret that Stephenson is a major contributor to the success in Indy this season. Sadly, Stephenson will fall just short of this year's Most Improved.

DeMarcus Cousins: Things are looking up in Sacramento and "Boogie" Cousins is in the middle of it. The one-and-done from Kentucky has worked his way into the discussion of being a top 5 center in the league and has become a force on both sides of the ball. He now averages 22.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game and has increased his average in literally every column this season. Despite a questionable attitude, Cousins may just be the best up-and-coming big man in the NBA. Averaging a double-double by a considerable margin is deserving of praise and that is part of the reason Cousins will win this year's Most Improved Player award.

6th Man of the Year
Markieff Morris: If you weren't a believer in the evolution of Morris' game, perhaps the fact that he is a final candidate for two awards will sway you. The Suns are the current eight seed in a jam-packed and deep Western Conference and their bench is a big reason why they are in that situation. Again, the Suns are young, but Morris' growth has powered Phoenix because his production does not leave any holes between his role off the bench and that of a starting power forward. He is a consistent and attention-drawing threat on both sides of the ball and has logged meaningful minutes for head coach Jeff Hornacek this year. The Suns have been impressive many a time this season and Morris has had himself a solid year, but much like the Most Improved honors, the former Kansas Jayhawk will miss out on receiving this honor.

Jamal Crawford: It took a season or two, but the Clippers now look like a legitimate contender in the West. And while Lob City is now coming into it's own, Jamal Crawford has been consistent for much, if not all of his career. This season is no different as Crawford has provided his usual spark off the bench as he is averaging 18.6 points per game. His ability to come off the bench and prove to be a game-changer has the Clippers looking at a three seed for the playoffs. Not to mention the fact that his scoring average has increased by two points per game. There is no doubt that Jamal Crawford's scoring is a valuable asset to Doc River's bench, but sadly the numbers speak to only the offensive side of the ball which will cost Crawford the 6th Man award.

Manu Ginobili:Is there a more consistent role player in the league? The Spurs have been fortunate to have a player like Manu Ginobili for the past twelve seasons as he has averaged double figures in points per game every season except his rookie season in which he averaged 7.6. Ginobili has also increased his scoring from 11.8 points per game last year to 12.3 this season. However, there has been a slight regression in his rebounding and assists which could hurt him when the votes are tallied up. Nonetheless, Ginobili is still getting the job done at the age of 36 and will surely play a monumental part in the Spurs quest to return to the Finals. With that in mind, Ginobili will have to produce without the 6th Man award in his possession.

Taj Gibson: The Chicago Bulls' sixth man has been a big contributor to their unlikely regular season success. Logging more fourth quarter minutes than the starter Carlos Boozer more often than not, Gibson's production and defense has warranted other teams' attention and the media's recognition. Averaging 13.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, the former USC Trojan is more than deserving of this year's 6th Man of the Year honors. He has improved or maintained last season's averages in every category, namely his scoring (8.0 points per game last season) and his free throw percentage (68% last season to 74% this season). Amidst the posterizing dunks and rim-protecting blocks is an evolved Taj Gibson that will bring home the hardware when the 6th Man of the Year is announced.

Coach of the Year
Steve Clifford: The Charlotte Bobcats used to be the laughing stock of the NBA and while they aren't exactly a powerhouse, they are noticeably better than years past. First-year NBA coach Steve Clifford took the job in Charlotte and has the Bobcats in position to be the seven seed in the playoffs while being just two games under .500. At 36-38, Clifford is looking like he will coach the Bobcats to their best season in the team's history and has already won 15 more games than last year and 29 more than in 2012. The Bobcats are young and still have experience to gain, but with the way Clifford has run the team up to this point, they just may become a consistent playoff team in the near future. Sadly, a sub-.500 team just doesn't warrant Coach of the Year honors.

Jeff Hornacek: Also a first-year NBA Coach, Jeff Hornacek has his Phoenix Suns looking at a playoff berth and has plenty of young talent to play the spoiler for a higher seed. Just one year after the Suns finished 25-57, Hornacek has turned the organization around and has accumulated a much improved record of 44-30 at press time. The Suns are currently tied with Memphis for the seven seed but looking ahead, the Suns are in a great spot to build in the future with Hornacek in charge. He has done a great job of making an immediate impact and enjoying more success than the past few seasons, but much like his players Gerald Green and Markieff Morris, Hornacek will not be awarded the honor he has been nominated for.

Tom Thibodeau: The Chicago Bulls have been a tough team since Thibs got there and instilled a passion to play defense. Yet who in the NBA has dealt with more season-changing injuries than Thibodeau? No one. The Bulls have been without their superstar Derrick Rose the past two seasons and have still managed to be a top four team in the East while being at least ten games over .500. Not to mention Thibs also lost Luol Deng in a trade earlier this season that caused for even more of a roster shake-up. But here we are in April and the Bulls are tied for the three seed in the East. Thibs has kept the Bulls focused and hungry in the midst of plenty of injuries. Few coaches in the league can do what Tom Thibodeau can do but when it's all said and done, Thibs will have to wait to claim his second Coach of the Year award.

Gregg Popovich: A mastermind in his own right, Gregg Popovich once again has the Spurs not only playing well, but playing better than anyone in the league. Nearing a 20-game win streak, the Spurs are poised to make another run to the Finals with a perfectly balanced roster. Aside from the personnel, however, is the way that Pop manages his team. During this win streak, Kawhi Leonard leads the team in minutes played per game at just over 30. 30 minutes per game is the highest? That means a guy who is on the bench for about a quarter and a half is leading the team in logged minutes? Don't question it, just enjoy it. Popovich knows how to run a team and even with the aging Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili he has once again helped his future Hall of Famers defy Father Time on their way to the best record in the NBA. Unless another team comes up big, there's no stopping this Spurs team from returning to the Finals. Gregg Popovich is without a doubt this year's Coach of the Year. 

The Starters Awards are scheduled for Monday April 7th at 6 PM Eastern Time on NBA TV.