Lakeland’s Heath is G League Coach of Year

It’s been quite a month for Lakeland Magic coach Stan Heath.

Last week, Heath guided the Magic to their first NBA G League championship.

On Wednesday, he was named the 2021 NBA G League Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year.

The G League played out 15 regular-season games in 25 days, then used a single-elimination format for its eight-team playoff at the Disney World bubble.

Heath’s team rode a 5-1 finish to qualify for the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, then outscored its three opponents by an average of 20 points en route to the title.

The Magic beat the Erie BayHawks 139-110 and the Santa Cruz Warriors 108-96 to reach the finals, where they downed the Delaware Blue Coats 97-78 to win the single-elimination tournament and close out the inaugural G League bubble at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

The coaches and general managers whose teams participated in the bubble voted on the award.

“The Magic family is extremely proud of Coach Heath, who is the most deserving of this recognition,” Lakeland Magic general manager Anthony Parker said in a statement. “The way Stan Heathcoached teams compete, and the consistency with which they play, are positive reflections of the work Stan and his staff have put in each year. Throughout his four years, Stan has continuously grown and gotten better each season.”

The Magic were especially proficient on defense under Heath, leading the G League in points allowed (101.5) and defensive rating (101.0). Lakeland also held opponents to the lowest field-goal percentage (42.5%) and 3-point field goal percentage (29.1%).

Hired in 2017 as Lakeland’s first head coach, Heath has a 94-63 (.599) record and has posted a winning mark each season. During his tenure with Lakeland, Heath has won more regular-season games than any other coach in the G League.

In addition, Heath’s teams have never failed to qualify for the postseason.