INDIANAPOLIS — For a while, the Coach of the Year vote seemed like an easy one. Or at the very least one with just a couple of choices.
There was Mike Malone, the grinder, the Nuggets coach who has steered Denver from out of the postseason mix last season to within shouting distance of the No. 1 seed in the West in this one. Credit the Nuggets front office for identifying the likes of Nikola Jokic, Will Barton and Monte Morris. Credit Malone for developing them.
There’s Mike Budenholzer, the savant, the ex-Spurs assistant who has rebounded from a disappointing ending to his run with the Hawks to turn the Bucks, a 44-win No.