OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — When asked what makes Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault so good at his job, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander first joked.
“He's annoying. He's always nagging,” the All-Star guard said with a laugh.
He continued in a more serious tone.
“The best thing about him is that he has standards for everyone,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And it doesn't matter if you've been here five years, whether you're the best player on the team, whether you're the worst player on the team, whether you just got here last week. There's a standard. . And we have to play and live up to that on and off the court. And I think that's what allows our culture to be what it is as a group. to start.”
Those qualities paid off. Daigneault, 39, is Named NBA Coach of the Year Sunday after leading one of the league's youngest teams to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. He joins Scott Brooks (2010) as the only Thunder coaches to win this award.
The other finalists were Chris Finch of Minnesota and Jamal Mosley of Orlando. Finch led the Timberwolves to a 56-26 record and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, after having to go through the play-in tournament to make the playoffs the previous year. Mosley led the Magic to a 47-35 record this season after the team went 34-48 last season.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers, who was Orlando's coach of the year in 2001, said Dynor is clearly at the forefront this season.
“Working with a lot of young players and getting young players to buy in at the championship level, I don't think people realize how difficult that is,” Rivers said at the end of the regular season, when the Thunder defeated the Bucks. He spoke before breaking it. . “You don't see a lot of young teams in their position as proof of that. … It's a no-brainer for me about that.”
Daigneault spent five years as the head coach of the Thunder's G League affiliate. He posted a .572 winning percentage, four playoff appearances and three district championships. He was hired as the Thunder's coach in 2020 after Billy Donovan was hired as the Chicago Bulls' coach.
Oklahoma City has shown signs of improvement after going 22-50 in Daigneault's first year as the Thunder's head coach and 24-58 in his second year. Last season, Oklahoma City went 40-42 and advanced to the play-in tournament, with Daino finishing second in Coach of the Year voting.
The Thunder went 57-25 this season, tying for the best record in the West on a dramatic final day of the regular season.
Daigneault has benefited from the development of great young talent. Gilgeous-Alexander, 25, ranks third in the league in points this season with 30.1 points per game and is a finalist for Most Valuable Player. 2022 first-round pick Jalen Williams averaged 19.1 points this season after finishing as Rookie of the Year runner-up last season. Josh Guidi, the No. 6 overall pick in 2021, averaged 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists this season.
But the key addition is Chet Holmgren. The 2022 No. 2 draft pick missed all of last season with a foot injury. This season, the 7-foot-1 center averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while creating mismatches on both ends with his versatility. He is a finalist for Rookie of the Year.
Sacramento's Mike Brown, who was unanimously named Coach of the Year last season and won the championship with Cleveland in 2009, is excited about how Daigneault can quickly build a strong team with the talent that general manager Sam Presti has amassed. I was impressed with how it was created.
“Not panicking, having the patience to get through the process, understanding that it's a process and getting everyone on the same page. That's a beautiful sight just from the outside looking in,” Brown said. Told. “There aren't many NBA organizations that start like this, starting with ownership.”
But it's more than just talent and work. Williams was one of several players who praised Daigneault's communication skills.
“I think we can go even further if we can empathize with the people we teach. … Then we become willing to listen,” Williams said. “He also loves the game and you can see that in his approach and how much film and statistics and analysis he does every day to prepare us for each game. When you see that as a player, I think it makes us want to play hard for him.”
Daigneault said he's listening because he knows he can't do it all alone.
“At the end of the day, we are in this together,” he said. “We all work together towards the best and we don't care where the idea comes from. Whether it's from a player or a video assistant. , it doesn't matter. We're just trying to move in the same direction for the best.”
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