Kenny Atkinson discusses winning Coach of the Year
Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson was named NBA Coach of the Year on Monday night after leading the Cavaliers to 64 wins in his first season.
It’s awards season in the NBA, and so far, nothing for the Indiana Pacers.
And we mean nothing. Not a single vote for NBA Executive of the Year, Coach of the Year, Most Improved Player, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year and Clutch Player of the Year.
In all, 1,890 1st, 2nd and 3rd place votes were cast for the above awards… and not a single one went to anyone associated with the Pacers. And that’s despite Indiana having the fourth-best record in the league since Jan. 1.
The biggest gripe might be with Executive of the Year for Kevin Pritchard and Coach of the Year for Rick Carlisle. You can make an argument for Andrew Nembhard to get some love for his defense or T.J. McConnell off the bench and possibly Tyrese Haliburton for the Clutch Award. But nada, nothing, zilch.
KJ Pritchard, Kevin’s son, posted on social “0% chance there’s 13 better than my dad. Argue a wall.”
But the Pacers aren’t completely empty-handed. One Indiana player did receive votes for the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award. That would be James Johnson, who finished eighth in the voting. Johnson played a total of 37 minutes this season and hasn’t played since March 10. So he had plenty of time to be a good teammate.
His role has always been that of a veteran leader and enforcer, if needed. He led the much-talked about anonymous players survey from The Athletic for the player you’d least like to get in a fight with for the fourth year running (Johnson is an MMA fighter).
Here’s how all the voting shook out, with MVP still to come, and don’t expect any Pacers votes there, either.
2025 NBA Executive of the Year votingName, Team1st (5 pts)2nd (3 pts)3rd (1 pt)Total PointsSam Presti, OKC106674Koby Altman, CLE68458Trajan Langdon, DET65752Rafael Stone, HOU45338Lawrence Frank, LAC12112Rob Pelinka, LAL11311Mike Dunleavy, GSW0136Sean Marks, BKL1005Brad Stevens, BOS1005Leon Rose, NYK0114Monte McNair, SAC0103Jeff Weltman, ORL0011Brian Wright, SA00112025 NBA Coach of the Year votingName, Team1st (5 pts)2nd (3 pts)3rd (1 pt)Total pointsKenny Atkinson, CLE59337401J.B. Bickerstaff, DET314418305Ime Udoka, HOU71339113Mark Daigneault, OKC271041Tyronn Lue, LAC132135JJ Redick, LAL00552025 NBA’s Most Improved Player votingPlayer, Team1st (5 pts)2nd (3 pts)3rd (1 pt)Total PointsDyson Daniels, ATL44364332Ivica Zubac, LAC231817186Cade Cunningham, DET151114122Christian Braun, DEN91530120Austin Reaves, LAL341239Evan Mobley, CLE23221Amen Thompson, HOU12718Deni Avidija, POR13317Tyler Herro, MIA13216Josh Giddey, CHI12213Payton Pritchard, BOS0136Toumani Camara, POR0125OG Anunoby, NYK0103Jalen Williams, OKC00222025 NBA Rookie of the Year votingPlayer, Team1st (5 pts)2nd (3 pts)3rd (1 pt)Total pointsStephon Castle, SA9271482Zaccharie Risacher, ATL56428245Jaylen Wells, MEM32339123Alex Sarr, WAS051934Zach Edey, MEM01710Kel’el Ware, MIA0044Matas Buzelis, CHI0011Jared McCain, PHI00112025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year votingPlayer, Team1st (5 pts)2nd (3 pts)3rd (1 pt)Total pointsEvan Mobley, CLE353020285Dyson Daniels, ATL251721197Draymond Green, GSW152019154Luguentz Dort, OKC111218109Amen Thompson, HOU9121293Ivica Zubac, LAC44234Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM0169Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL1005Toumani Camara, POR0114Bam Adebayo, MIA0103Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC0103Derrick White, BOS0103Rudy Gobert, MIN00112025 NBA Sixth Man of the Year votingPlayer, Team1st (5 pts)2nd (3 pts)3rd (1 pt)Total PointsPayton Pritchard, BOS82135454Malik Beasley, DET136616279Ty Jerome, CLE2124591De’Andre Hunter, CLE221733Naz Reid, MIN151131Nickeil Alexander-Walker, MIN0217Russell Westbrook, DEN0044Alex Caruso, OKC00112025 NBA KIA Clutch Player votingPlayer, team1st (5 pts)2nd (3 pts)3rd (1 pt)Total pointsJalen Brunson, NYK70244426Nikola Jokic, DEN26588312Anthony Edwards, MIN252247Trae Young, ATL052944Stephen Curry, GSW131327Darius Garland, CLE001616LeBron James, LAL12314Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC0224Donovan Mitchell, CLE0103Kyrie Irving, DAL0011Tyrese Maxey, PHI0011Jayson Tatum, BOS00112025 Twyman-Stokes NBA Teammate of the Year votingPlayer, Team1st (10 pts)2nd (7 pts)3rd (5 pts)4th (3 pts)5th (1 pt)Total pointsStephen Curry, GSW66393046361,257Steven Adams, HOU46544642431,237Jalen Brunson, NYK3638313830925DeAndre Jordan, DEN3335413124897Nicolas Batum, LAC3337263641868Donovan Mitchell, CLE2242423036850Al Horford, BOS2934353138834James Johnson, IND3428242326751Jaylin Williams, OKC3217252842690Brook Lopez, MIL1320503629657Tobias Harris, DET2130232829648Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM2617182217552