NBA: The 5 best candidates to never win an individual league award

Coach of the Year: Erik Spoelstra

This one is a piece of cake. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is always in the running for this award, and his teams have consistently overachieved in the eight years since LeBron James left (coaching those Heatles for four years was no laughing matter easily).

Let’s not forget the year he dragged a team led by Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters (!), and Hassan Whiteside to 41 wins. From Whiteside to Josh Richardson to Justise Winslow, how many players have looked significantly better under Spo’s coaching than everywhere else they’ve played? Quite a few.

Between his x’s and o’s and his player management, he’s clearly one of the best coaches in the league, and absolutely the best who has never won Coach of the Year.