Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue and Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau were named Coaches of the Month for January, the NBA announced Thursday.
Lue, the December Coach of the Month winner, led the Clippers to a 13-3 record in January. The Clippers are 28-8 after a 3-7 start to the season and, entering Thursday, sit third in the Western Conference and just two games out of first place.
The Clippers appear to be firing on all cylinders through the first half of the season. James Harden has fit in nicely after arriving via trade while Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were named All-Stars earlier Thursday. Ivica Zubac and Russell Westbrook are among others playing well in their roles.
Thibodeau, the Eastern Conference winner, helped propel the Knicks toward the top of the standings in January. The Knicks went 14-2 after the New Year, including win streaks of five and eight games. After beginning the month at 17-15, the Knicks are now 31-17 and in third in the conference.
Like the Clippers, the Knicks have two All-Stars and several players fitting nicely into their roles. OG Anunoby, traded to New York on Dec. 30, was a huge part of New York’s month. He’s averaging 15.6 points, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks since being moved.
The other nominees in the Western Conference were Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault, Utah’s Will Hardy, Memphis’s Taylor Jenkins and Phoenix’s Frank Vogel, according to NBA PR (Twitter link). Cleveland’s J.B. Bickerstaff, Indiana’s Rick Carlisle and Boston’s Joe Mazzulla were the other nominees in the Eastern Conference.
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