Steve Kerr for NBA Coach of the Year? What oddsmakers think
Steve Kerr for NBA Coach of the Year? What oddsmakers think originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
New coach, same goal for the Boston Celtics in 2022-23.
The C's remain odds-on favorites to win the 2023 NBA Finals despite losing head coach Ime Udoka to a season-long suspension. Udoka's assistant, Joe Mazzulla, will replace him in the interim with high expectations.
Mazzulla, as Udoka did prior to his suspension, has a real chance to earn NBA Coach of the Year honors if the C's can overcome their adversity. According to PointsBet Sportsbook, the 34-year-old has +1400 odds to win the award for 2022-23. That ties him for the fifth-best odds among NBA head coaches heading into the new season.
The only coaches with better odds than Mazzulla are Taylor Jenkins (Memphis Grizzlies, +900), Chris Finch (Minnesota Timberwolves, (+1000), Tyronn Lue (Los Angeles Clippers, +1100), and Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat, +1100). Michael Malone (Denver Nuggets) and Willie Green (New Orleans Pelicans) are tied with Mazzulla at +1400.
Prior to his suspension, Udoka was the favorite to win the award at +850. He finished fourth in Coach of the Year voting last season.
Monty Williams, the 2021-22 winner of the award with the Phoenix Suns, has +1600 odds. His team will be looking to avenge a confounding Game 7 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in last year's playoffs, while owner Robert Sarver looks to sell the franchise.
Further down the list, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has +1800 odds, tying him with Steve Nash of the Brooklyn Nets and J.B. Bickerstaff of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Here are the full odds for 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year with less than a month to go before the season tips off:
Taylor Jenkins: +900
Chris Finch: +1000
Tyronn Lue: +1100
Erik Spoelstra: +1100
Michael Malone: +1400
Willie Green: +1400
Joe Mazzulla: +1400
Jason Kidd: +1500
Monty Williams: +1600
Nick Nurse: +1600
Steve Kerr: +1800
Steve Nash: +1800
J.B. Bickerstaff: +1800
Darvin Ham: +2000
Billy Donovan: +2000
Mike Budenholzer: +2200
Nate McMillan: +2500
Steve Clifford: +3000
Doc Rivers: +3000
Wes Unseld Jr.: +3000
Dwayne Casey: +3300
Will Hardy: +4000
Chauncey Billups: +5000
Tom Thibodeau: +5000
Gregg Popovich: +6600
Mike Brown: +7000
Rick Carlisle: +7500
Stephen Silas: +7500
Mark Daigneault: +8000
Jamahl Mosley: +8000
Editor's note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.