For the first time ever, the NBA will delay the announcement of the end of the season awards until after the Finals, as the winners will be named on June 26 during the NBA's first ever award show.
On Friday, however, we at least learned who the finalists will be, as the three candidates for each award were announced on TNT before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.
We've already learned all the awards involving players, and now it's time for to see who will be up for Coach of the Year.
It turns out we have some familiar faces, as Greg Popovich of the San Antonion Spurs and Mike D'Antoni of the Houston Rockets, each of whom have won the award before, will be up for it again. They'll be joined on the final list by the Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra.
Coach Pop has been named a finalist for @NBA Coach of the Year! Winner will be announced June 26th at the Inaugural #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/6mKajGyfaz
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 19, 2017
Congrats to Coach D'Antoni for being named a finalist for #NBA Coach of the Year! pic.twitter.com/rhqbuHz1AN
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) May 20, 2017
#SPOachOfTheYear!
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) May 20, 2017
OFFICIAL: Miami HEAT head coach Erik Spoelstra has been named a finalist for @NBA Coach of the Year! pic.twitter.com/IMbdI9wok8
One of these coaches, as you may notice, is not like the others, as Popovich and D'Antoni each lead dominant teams, while Spoelstra's Heat actually failed to make the playoffs.
Will the voters reward Popovich and D'Antoni for taking their team to the playoffs? Or will they honor Spoelstra for keeping the Heat together and leading them on a furious run at the end of the season.