Ime Udoka’s work as Head Coach has done wonders for the Boston Celtics. Particularly as the season has been winding down. So it makes sense that Udoka’s efforts as a coach are being recognized around the league. Today, Udoka was announced as Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for both March and April. The honor was shared with Dallas Mavericks‘ head coach Jason Kidd, as Kidd was rewarded the same honor in the Western Conference.
Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd and Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in March and April.
Udoka’s work speaks for itself. Through the months of March and April, the Celtics went 15-4, a stretch that played a role in the team working its way up the 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. In that time, the Celtics had the league’s no. 1 net rating with plus-14, the no. 1 offensive rating at 123.4 points per 100 possessions, and the no. 2 defensive rating, allowing 109.4 points per 100 possessions.
Needless to say, Udoka was probably the easy choice here.
This is not Ime’s First Time Winning Coach of the Month
In Ime’s case, you know what’s better than winning Eastern Conference Coach of the Month? Winning it for a second consecutive time! It gets better too. The last time a Celtics coach did that, the team did something a little noteworthy the same yar.
Ime Udoka is just the 2nd coach in Celtics history to win multiple Coach of the Month awards in the same season, joining Doc Rivers.
Ime wins it in back-to-back months just like Doc did to close out the 2007-08 regular season before the Celtics went on their championship run.
Besides the fact that the Celtics went on to do that the last time their coach won multiple Coach of the Month awards, what’s also telling is that, in spite of the impressive work he did as head coach, Brad Stevens never did something like this in the eight years he was calling the shots from the sidelines.
That doesn’t reflect poorly on Stevens in the slightest knowing what he did for the Celtics in those eight years, but it’s fair to say that Udoka has had a lot to do with the Celtics’ amazing turnaround, and thus clearly the right choice as Stevens’ predecessor.
Marcus Smart shows his endorsement for Udoka
As if the Celtics’ Head Coach could not be showered with any more praise in recent days, Celtics guard Marcus Smart recently took to Twitter to endorse Udoka for Coach of the Year.
Udoka definitely has a case for Coach of the Year when you look at those facts. Progress may not have come right away in Udoka’s first year as coach, but once the Celtics put it together, they were pretty difficult to stop as a team when they had their whole squad.
Sadly, because it took as long as it did for the Celtics to play the elite basketball that they did, the odds are not in Udoka’s favor of winning the award. Usually, such an award goes to coaches whose teams played well for the majority of the season, not only the latter half of it. That’s why it’s much more likely that candidates like Monty Williams from the Phoenix Suns or Taylor Jenkins from the Memphis Grizzlies are likelier to win.
That shouldn’t take anything away from what Udoka has done since taking over for Brad Stevens. If anything this year will serve as only the beginning of Udoka’s coaching success in Boston. Keep in mind that Nick Nurse didn’t win Coach of the Year his first go-round as Head Coach, but he did win the title. If Udoka does the same, then that says enough about his coaching abilities.
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Celtics Coach Ime Udoka Wins Prestigious NBA Coaching Award