NBA: Thibodeau, Brooks named Coaches of the Month

The NBA announced via press release Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time) that the Chicago Bulls' Tom Thibodeau and the Oklahoma City Thunder's Scott Brooks were honored as the NBA's Eastern Conference and Western Conference Coaches of the Month.

 

The first batch of Coach of the Month awards covers the start of the NBA season last December through the month of January.

 

Named Coach of the Year last season in his first year with the Bulls, Thibodeau now has the team at the top of the Eastern Conference with an 18-5 slate, including a 9-1 home record. This is despite several injuries to starters Derrick Rose, Richard Hamilton, and Luol Deng.

 

Thibodeau also has the Bulls as the top rebounding team, averaging 45.3 boards per game. And after spending three years as the defensive guru of the Boston Celtics under head coach Doc Rivers, Thibodeau's charges are allowing just 87.4 points per game, second best in the league. 

 

Similarly, Brooks, in his third season since taking over as interim coach for P.J. Carlesimo, has the Oklahoma City Thunder on top of the Western Conference standings with a 16-4 record, including a home record of 8-1. The impressive start ties the former Seattle Supersonics franchise record for third-best beginning to a season. 

 

Behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the Thunder are shooting a league-best 80 percent from the foul line, and their average of 100.4 points per game is third best in the league. — Adrian Dy/RSJ, GMA News