National Basketball Association

Washington Wizards' Scott Brooks Wins NBA Eastern Conference Coach of the Month

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:33 p.m. ET

Fansided, Ben Mehic/FanSided via Wiz of Awes

Washington Wizards were off to a rocky start, but head coach Scott Brooks kept the team together. Now he’s the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month.

Before the Washington Wizards even fired Randy Wittman, there was speculation about whether or not the team would pursue Scott Brooks, who was let go by the Oklahoma City Thunder last year after missing the NBA Playoffs.

Given the team’s obvious interest in Kevin Durant, the eventual link to Brooks wasn’t surprising.

Immediately after parting ways with Wittman, reports surfaced that Brooks was first on the Wizards’ shortlist of potential replacements.

After meeting with Brooks, the Wizards struck a five-year, $35 million deal, making him one of the highest paid coaches in the NBA.

The deal was met with scrutiny, especially since Ernie Grunfeld didn’t even interview another person for the job.

Washington missed out on the Durant sweepstakes, failing to secure even a phone call with their dream acquisition. Still, Brooks’ player development track record had some hopeful that the deal would work out in Washington’s favor.

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A month into his coaching career in Washington, Brooks found his new team at the bottom of the standings, sitting right next to the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.

But now, the Wizards are fourth in the Eastern Conference and are riding a 15-game winning streak at home.

Despite the disappointing start, the Wizards continued to keep their heads high and worked until they figured things out.

Brooks tweaked the rotations regularly and eventually got a solid feel for his players.

The quick turnaround and development of the players, particularly the starting five, have caused many to change their opinion about Brooks, who won Coach of the Year in 2010.

John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter, Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat are all in the midst of career-high seasons.

The starters led the Washington Wizards to a league-best 12-4 record in January.

On February 1, the Wizards announced that Brooks was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month. It’s the fourth time Brooks has received the award.

His coaching and creativity has been the main reason for the Wizards’ turnaround.

When the Wizards found themselves struggling at the beginning of the season, Brooks preached togetherness and managed to keep his voice inside the locker room. Many coaches, including Wittman, lose their voice when teams dig an early-season hole.

Washington has a legitimate chance to secure home court advantage in the playoffs, but none of it would be possible if Brooks didn’t get the most out of his team.

It’s only been a few months, yet Brooks has already left an imprint on the Wizards’ franchise.