Not the ultimate goal, but better than nothing

Bittersweet isn't always the best taste to have in your mouth. The fact is, though, that bittersweet tastes a lot better than sour. While the Denver Nuggets squad was poised and ready to make a deep playoff run, a few key injuries and some All-Star performances on the opposing bench left their season ending far earlier than their potential. While this hurt, head coach George Karl was rewarded for turning his young, deep team into a legitimate threat in the playoffs with winning his first NBA Coach of the Year award.

On Wednesday night, George Karl accepted the award in front of friends and family, thanking everyone from aging coaches to players on his squad. Karl is the first coach in NBA history to win the award after being in the league for over 25 years. The next closest coach was Lenny Wilkens coaching the Atlanta Hawks, who had been in the league for 21 seasons.

Karl is credited with helping the Nuggets squad, known as being a starless team, to an NBA best 38-3 home record. The Nuggets ended the season in 3^rd place in the west, with a 57-25 record that ranked 4^th best in the entire league. Karl received 62 first place votes, to second placer Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat with 24. They were followed by Mike Woodson of the New York Knicks and Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs.

Of the season that just passed, Karl stated that “It was an incredible season. That’s why the disappointment is so immense. I wake up every morning depressed. I woke up about 6 o’clock, I was hoping for sunshine and I got rain and it didn't make me feel very good, and then I said, ‘Oh, God, I've got to put a suit and tie on.” Karl has been the head coach of the Denver Nuggets for 8 ½ seasons, and this is his 4^th straight first round exit in the playoffs.

While Karl can take pride in his Coach of the Year award, his time in Denver may not be lasting. Nuggets fans haven’t been too happy with short playoff runs, and Karl’s job has been in question, many believe. While the job is his presently, Karl’s bittersweet award winning season may have been enough for management to start shopping around in the coaching market.

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