SBNation Reacts: Where fans think Tom Thibodeau, not Monty Williams, gets the Coach of the Year

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Each week, we send out questions to the most plugged in Phoenix Suns fans, and fans across the country. Sign up here to join Reacts.

Let’s start with Suns fan respondents

According to the most recent SB Nation Reacts survey, most Suns fans would still rather face the Grizzlies than any other non-Lakers team in the first round. And I’m still not sure I agree with that sentiment.

Seems like it’s going to be either the Blazers or (more likely) Lakers who get the 7th seed and will have to fend off the Warriors or Grizzlies for one play-in game next week to keep it.

Now onto National survey respondents

As the playoffs approach, the biggest surprise of the season is likely the success of the New York Knicks. For the first time since 2013, the Knicks have reached the postseason and they did so without a true superstar leading the team.

In place of a superstar, the team is led on the court by Julius Randle and head coach Tom Thibodeau. Both of whom fans believe will finish the season with an individual award. 69 percent of fans around the league believe Randle should win the 2020-21 Most Improved Player award. The next closest player, Michael Porter Jr., received 11 percent of the vote.

50 percent of national fans believe Thibodeau has earned the Coach of the Year award this season. Suns coach Monty Williams took 23 percent.

Oh sure, this makes a lot of sense. Uh huh. Thibs pushed a non-star Knicks team to mid-pack playoff level, while Monty Williams pushed a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in a DECADE to one of the top two seeds in the entire Western Conference! If you ask me, I vote the latter.

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