Move over Byron Scott, because it is Rick Carlisle who is expected to be named NBA coach of the year today.  Carlisle took Detroit from a 32-50 ball club to a 50-32 club this season, winning the Central Division Championship despite the absence of an All-Star.

"If you would've asked us at the start of the season if we thought this would happen in our first year, we all probably would've said no," assistant coach Tony Brown said. "We had a plan, we stuck with the plan and we've had some outstanding results. It's surprising, but we're quite happy with where we are right now."

"I think Rick, for a rookie head coach, for any head coach, has not performed like a rookie," assistant Kevin O'Neill said. "He has a plan. He thinks things through. He sticks with his plan. He doesn't change things because things don't go well. He never gets too high or too low. He stays steady.

?I think when a guy gets a coach of the year award, it says a lot about your players. Our players have responded extremely well to the fact that they believe in what Rick does.?