Could Vinny Del Negro, After All The Turmoil, Be Coach Of The Year?

By Dave Shepard, OTSL Special Contributor

There were many questions regarding the future of Vinny DelNegro with the Clippers franchise this season. Those reports peaked as little as three weeks ago. Since then, the Clippers are 11-2.

The Clippers have a chance to finish with one of the five best records in the NBA when the season finishes on April 26^th. Instead of this coach losing the locker room, I will argue that he should be in strong contention for Coach of the Year.

If the Clippers finish out the season at this pace, Del Negro will have been responsible for the WINNINGEST REGULAR SEASON IN CLIPPERS FRANCHISE HISTORY. The Clippers have been around for 42 years and have had a Hall of Fame coach in Jack Ramsey, but have never had a team finish over .600.

Clippers Best Coaching Records - Single Season

Coach	Win%	Season
Vinny Del Negro	.617*	2011-12
Jack Ramsay	.598	1974-75
Mike Dunleavy	.573	2005-06
Jack Ramsay	.561	1975-76

*6 Games Remaining

Mike Dunleavy won Coach of the Year in 1998-99 and reached the 1991 NBA finals in his first year as a head coach. Alvin Gentry is 125-99 in the past 3 seasons. He is doing this with a 38 year-old point guard at the helm. Bill Fitch is a multiple winner of the NBA coach of the year award. He possess 944 wins as a head coach in the association.

The three previous Clippers coaches who have coached at least full season before Del Negro have proven themselves to be quality NBA coaches to say the least. However, it is Del Negro who by far puts up the best win percentage compared to these three coaches during his Clippers tenure and this just this season alone.

Four Most Recent Clippers Coaches (with at least one full season)

Coach	W-L Record	Win%	Season
Vinny Del Negro	69-73	.486	2010-Present
Alvin Gentry	89-136	.400	2000-03
Mike Dunleavy	215-326	.397	2003-10
Bill Fitch	99-229	.302	1994-98

This is just Del Negro's fourth season as a head coach, yet he is having the best season of his career. He is on pace to win 41 games in 2011-12. If he does that he will match his career high. Keep in mind he has only had the opportunity to coach 66 games due to the NBA lockout, in all other years he coached a full 82 game schedule.

They are tied in the loss column with the Lakers in the Pacific division. They have done this without Chauncey Billups who played just 20 games before an achilles injury caused him to miss the rest of the season. He was the Clippers third leading scorer and was second on the team in assists.

Not A Mini Vinny Anymore - Del Negro's Coaching Career

Season	W-L Record	Win%
2008-09	41-41	.500
2009-10	41-41	.500
2010-11	32-50	.390
2011-12	37-23	.617

Chris Paul has had one season in which his team has finished with a higher winning percentage than .617. That was the 2007-08 season with New Orleans, the year that he came in second in the MVP voting. That was also the year his coach, Byron Scott won the NBA Coach Of The Year Award.

Keep in mind that Del Negro lost a finals MVP and a five-time All-Star in Chauncey Billups this season. He was limited to just 20 games this season due to a season-ending achilles injury. Chris Paul played in 80 games in the 2007-08 season, his career-high. In a condensed 66-game season he has missed five games already.

That Hornets team also had a guy by the name of Tyson Chandler who has not made an All-Star team. He did however lead the league that season in offensive rebounds. He also finished second in field goal percentage.

Vinny Coach Of the Year? Greatest SeasonsFeaturing Chris Paul

Team	Hornets	Clippers
Coach	Byron Scott*	Vinny Del Negro
Win%	.683	.617
Combined All-Stars minus Paul	5**	6**
Games missed by Paul	2	5
Games missed by #3 Scorer	5***	40+

* Won Coach of the Year

** Players who played at least half the season

*** Peja Stojakovic averaged 16.4 PPG

Put it all together and it makes a great case for Vinny Del Negro to be the 2011-2012 NBA Coach of the Year.