New coach, same goal for the Boston Celtics in 2022-23.
The C's remain odds-on favorites to win the 2023 NBA Finals despite losing head coach Ime Udoka to a season-long suspension. Udoka's assistant, Joe Mazzulla, will replace him in the interim with high expectations.
Mazzulla, as Udoka did prior to his suspension, has a real chance to earn NBA Coach of the Year honors if the C's can overcome their adversity. According to PointsBet Sportsbook, the 34-year-old has +1400 odds to win the award for 2022-23. That ties him for the fifth-best odds among NBA head coaches heading into the new season.
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The only coaches with better odds than Mazzulla are Taylor Jenkins (Memphis Grizzlies, +900), Chris Finch (Minnesota Timberwolves, (+1000), Tyronn Lue (Los Angeles Clippers, +1100), and Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat, +1100). Michael Malone (Denver Nuggets) and Willie Green (New Orleans Pelicans) are tied with Mazzulla at +1400.
Prior to his suspension, Udoka was the favorite to win the award at +850. He finished fourth in Coach of the Year voting last season.
Monty Williams, the 2021-22 winner of the award with the Phoenix Suns, has +1600 odds. His team will be looking to avenge a confounding Game 7 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in last year's playoffs, while owner Robert Sarver looks to sell the franchise.
Further down the list, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has +1800 odds, tying him with Steve Nash of the Brooklyn Nets and J.B. Bickerstaff of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Here are the full odds for 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year with less than a month to go before the season tips off:
- Taylor Jenkins: +900
- Chris Finch: +1000
- Tyronn Lue: +1100
- Erik Spoelstra: +1100
- Michael Malone: +1400
- Willie Green: +1400
- Joe Mazzulla: +1400
- Jason Kidd: +1500
- Monty Williams: +1600
- Nick Nurse: +1600
- Steve Kerr: +1800
- Steve Nash: +1800
- J.B. Bickerstaff: +1800
- Darvin Ham: +2000
- Billy Donovan: +2000
- Mike Budenholzer: +2200
- Nate McMillan: +2500
- Steve Clifford: +3000
- Doc Rivers: +3000
- Wes Unseld Jr.: +3000
- Dwayne Casey: +3300
- Will Hardy: +4000
- Chauncey Billups: +5000
- Tom Thibodeau: +5000
- Gregg Popovich: +6600
- Mike Brown: +7000
- Rick Carlisle: +7500
- Stephen Silas: +7500
- Mark Daigneault: +8000
- Jamahl Mosley: +8000
Editor's note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.