Denver’s George Karl is the recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2012-13 NBA Coach of the Year, the NBA announced today.
Under Karl’s stewardship, the Nuggets finished with a league-best 38-3 (.927) mark at home and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.
In earning his first NBA Coach of the Year, Karl totaled 404 points, including 62 first-place votes, from a panel of 121 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.
Miami’s Erik Spoelstra finished second with 190 total votes, including 24 first-place votes.
The Knicks’ Mike Woodson finished third with 127 votes, including six first-place ballots.
Under Woodson, the Knicks went 54-28, garnered the No. 2 seed in the East and won their first postseason series since 2000.
A year ago, when Woodson took over for Mike D’Antoni, the Knicks finished 36-30 in the lockout-shortened season.
When told April 23 that his friend Isiah Thomas had picked him as Coach of the Year, Woodson said: “That’s good but again I’m not in this for Coach of the Year. I’m in this to try to get this team to the championship round and try to win a title.”
2012-13 NBA COACH OF THE YEAR RESULTS
Coach, Team 1st 2nd 3rd Pts George Karl, Denver 62 26 16 404 Erik Spoelstra, Miami 24 17 19 190 Mike Woodson, New York 6 28 13 127 Gregg Popovich, San Antonio 11 16 17 120 Frank Vogel, Indiana 3 11 12 60 Lionel Hollins, Memphis 6 4 13 55 Mark Jackson, Golden State 3 6 14 47 Tom Thibodeau, Chicago 2 7 9 40 Kevin McHale, Houston 1 3 3 17 P.J. Carlesimo, Brooklyn 1 1 0 8 Vinny Del Negro, L.A. Clippers 1 1 0 8 Larry Drew, Atlanta 1 0 1 6 Doc Rivers, Boston 0 1 1 4 Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City 0 0 3 3Photo: NY Post
