DENVER -- George Karl led the Denver Nuggets to their best season in team history, earning him coach of the year honors on Wednesday.

He received 62 first-place votes, followed by Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat with 24 votes from a panel of sports writers and broadcasters. New York's Mike Woodson finished third and San Antonio's Gregg Popovich, who won the award last season, was fourth.

The Nuggets went 57-25 -- the league's fourth-best record -- and captured the No. 3 seed. But the Nuggets were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors 92-88 in Game 6 last Thursday night.

"I am honored and energized to represent coaching and be their ambassador as coach of the year and continue to symbolize the great coaching there is in the NBA," Karl said in a statement. "There are probably seven or eight guys who are deserving of it and another 10 or 15 other coaches who have done a great job and aren't getting any recognition."

It's the first time Karl has won the award in 25 seasons in charge. He joins Doug Moe as the only Denver coaches to earn the honor.

The Nuggets surged down the stretch, winning a team-record 15 straight at one point and going 24-4 after the All-Star break. They also won a franchise-best 38 games at the Pepsi Center.

In Karl's up-tempo offense this season, the team led the league in scoring, fast-break points and points in the paint. They struggled in the playoffs against a Warriors squad led by Stephen Curry, in part because they were without one of their top players, Danilo Gallinari, who was out with a torn ACL.

Karl has been criticized by some fans after a fourth straight first-round exit.

Denver's first-round flameout comes after the Western Conference seemed more wide open with Oklahoma City losing All-Star Russell Westbrook to a season-ending knee injury.

After the postseason elimination, Karl called it one of the most disappointing defeats in his nine seasons in Denver.

Karl boasts a 1,131-756 record with the Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. He's also turned in 21 straight non-losing seasons, which is tied with Phil Jackson for the longest streak in league history.

Moe won the award for the Nuggets in 1987-88, when his team went 54-28.

Woody, like Melo in the MVP voting, finished third.

Kudos George Karl, you look like a champ in the regular season, but suck balls perennially in the 2nd season.

Can't blame Melo this time around!!!

ChuckBuck wrote:http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9254113/george-karl-denver-nuggets-named-nba-coach-year

DENVER -- George Karl led the Denver Nuggets to their best season in team history, earning him coach of the year honors on Wednesday.

He received 62 first-place votes, followed by Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat with 24 votes from a panel of sports writers and broadcasters. New York's Mike Woodson finished third and San Antonio's Gregg Popovich, who won the award last season, was fourth.

The Nuggets went 57-25 -- the league's fourth-best record -- and captured the No. 3 seed. But the Nuggets were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors 92-88 in Game 6 last Thursday night.

"I am honored and energized to represent coaching and be their ambassador as coach of the year and continue to symbolize the great coaching there is in the NBA," Karl said in a statement. "There are probably seven or eight guys who are deserving of it and another 10 or 15 other coaches who have done a great job and aren't getting any recognition."

It's the first time Karl has won the award in 25 seasons in charge. He joins Doug Moe as the only Denver coaches to earn the honor.

The Nuggets surged down the stretch, winning a team-record 15 straight at one point and going 24-4 after the All-Star break. They also won a franchise-best 38 games at the Pepsi Center.

In Karl's up-tempo offense this season, the team led the league in scoring, fast-break points and points in the paint. They struggled in the playoffs against a Warriors squad led by Stephen Curry, in part because they were without one of their top players, Danilo Gallinari, who was out with a torn ACL.

Karl has been criticized by some fans after a fourth straight first-round exit.

Denver's first-round flameout comes after the Western Conference seemed more wide open with Oklahoma City losing All-Star Russell Westbrook to a season-ending knee injury.

After the postseason elimination, Karl called it one of the most disappointing defeats in his nine seasons in Denver.

Karl boasts a 1,131-756 record with the Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. He's also turned in 21 straight non-losing seasons, which is tied with Phil Jackson for the longest streak in league history.

Moe won the award for the Nuggets in 1987-88, when his team went 54-28.

Woody, like Melo in the MVP voting, finished third.

Kudos George Karl, you look like a champ in the regular season, but suck balls perennially in the 2nd season.

Can't blame Melo this time around!!!

I know this is not an easy award for you to digest.

Can't blame Melo? He should thank him!

Who won the trade? Both teams!!!!!

Regular seasons count for something.

Personally I thought Spoelestra should have gotten it. The whole notion of Phil Jax not getting it becuse he had Jordan or Kobe was always silly. Lebron elevated his game AGAIN and coach's should get more credit.

I thought Woodson had a great year and did a lot with the talent he had!!!

57 wins with that squad and kicks cancers ass is a good job and a sentimental addition! No reason to hate, the best teams advance and one will acend to win a championship!

Regular season award. Them is the parameters. It should include the playoffs in my humble opinion.

Nalod wrote:Who won the trade? Both teams!!!!!

Ah, the daily devotional gets a shot in the arm in the other direction! Too bad that thread got locked!

At least George will have a patch on his warmup suit jacket.

ChuckBuck wrote:I don't care if George Karl wins 73 games in the regular season, dude can't get out of the 1st round in Denver.

Only time he got lucky is when Chauncey Billups and Melo carried his ass to the WCF in 2009.

Other than that, he's phucking putrid, and makes D'Antoni seems like a competent postseason coach.

Jeez, let it go man.

Seems like the worse Denver does it elevates "the trade"!

Well, the trade was great for both teams. If they don't win 57 games then getting out of the first round is not big deal for them right?

The Guy is HOF and in a world where wins matter, guys like Don Nelson, and Jerry Sloan are great coaches and rack up wins.

In a world where "sucks balls" is used to describe a coach who has mounted greater success than any knick coach since Red Holzman one can just use Denvers regular season success and playoff failure to feel better about melo.

dk7th wrote:it's a regular season award... same as the scoring title.

he coached that team to 57 wins which was beyond all expectations. spoelstra was expected to win as many games as he did.

the nuggets missed gallinari in the playoffs-- it would have been a much closer series with him. chandler and brewer tried to fill in for him but fell short.

GSW didn't have Lee and Harrison Barnes/Landry filled in for him nicely. Can't let a team score 131pts on you on your home floor when you went 38-3 at home for the yr. Faried wasn't 100% either but this is a no excuse time of yr. Gallo wasn't going to stop Curry and/or Jack from doing what they did.

Nuggets reason for not advancing wasn't injuries, it was lack of defense....

Like you said though it's a regular season award and Karl more than deserved it. Now he has to get his team to be winners in the post-season

Nalod wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:

Nalod wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:I don't care if George Karl wins 73 games in the regular season, dude can't get out of the 1st round in Denver.

Only time he got lucky is when Chauncey Billups and Melo carried his ass to the WCF in 2009.

Other than that, he's phucking putrid, and makes D'Antoni seems like a competent postseason coach.

Jeez, let it go man.

Seems like the worse Denver does it elevates "the trade"!

Well, the trade was great for both teams. If they don't win 57 games then getting out of the first round is not big deal for them right?

The Guy is HOF and in a world where wins matter, guys like Don Nelson, and Jerry Sloan are great coaches and rack up wins.

In a world where "sucks balls" is used to describe a coach who has mounted greater success than any knick coach since Red Holzman one can just use Denvers regular season success and playoff failure to feel better about melo.

True or False, George Karl is a terrible postseason coach?

21 straight winning years!

Maybe he gets to the post season more BECAUSE he is a great coach? Has he had great teams that failed? Yes, its a function frequently going to the playoffs. He should have more "Lucky" runs? Perhaps!

This is all about melo for you isn't it? ANd you feel that Karl was in impediment to Melo being more successful in the playoffs?

80 wins - 105 losses, .432 winning percentage

Doesn't even win half his games in the playoffs after 185 games

Just awful...

I apologize a million times

Nalod wrote:how many coaches have coached in 185 playoff games?

Gotta be pretty good to get there!

Is any coach that has coached that many playoff games "terrible"?

How many have 80 wins?

COY is not a "lifetime achievement award", its for this past regular season.

If Woodson has gotten better thru experience, so too might have Karl!

Is he a great playoff coach? has he done a bad job in some of those years? Yeah, I think he might have.

Is he a terrible playoff coach? Maybe he is so good getting to the playoffs with teams that might not be playoff winning caliber that he his record becomes a victim of regular season success.

No, he is not "awful" or "sucks balls"! I can't label him a great playoff coach either.

Stop raining praise on that loser, he doesn't deserve it.

Greg Popovich, on the other hand, deserves every bouquet thrown his way.

123 Wins - 77 losses, .615 winning percentage, 4 rings.

To take a cue from my boy 3G4G, END OF SCUSSIN!