OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander first joked when asked what makes Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault good at his job.
“He’s annoying. Always nagging,” the All-Star guard said with a chuckle.
» he continued with a more serious tone.
“The best thing about him is no matter who you are, he has a standard,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And it doesn’t matter if you’ve been here five years, if you’re the best player on the team, if you’re the worst player on the team, if you got here last week, there’s a standard, and you have to play it and deliver on and off the field I think that’s what has made our culture what it is as a group.
These qualities have been rewarded. Daigneault, 39, was named NBA coach of the year Sunday after leading one of the league’s youngest teams to the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs. He joins Scott Brooks (2010) as the only Thunder coach to win this award.
The other finalists were Chris Finch of Minnesota and Jamahl Mosley of Orlando. Finch led the Timberwolves to a 56-26 record and third place in the Western Conference playoffs after having to go through the play-in tournament to qualify for 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 named coach of the year with Orlando in 2001, said Daigneault was clearly ahead of the pack this season.
“Working with a group of kids and getting all those kids to buy in at the championship level — I don’t think people understand how hard that is to do,” Rivers said before the Thunder beat the Bucks in end of regular season. . “And the proof is that we don’t see many young teams in their positions. …It’s easy for me on this one.
Daigneault spent five years as head coach of the Thunder’s G-League affiliate. He had a .572 winning percentage with four playoff appearances and three division titles. He took over as coach of the Thunder in 2020 after Billy Donovan left to become coach of the Chicago Bulls.
Oklahoma City went 22-50 in Daigneault’s first year as Thunder head coach, then 24-58 in his second before signs of a turnaround surfaced. Last season, Oklahoma City went 40-42 and reached the play-in tournament, and Daigneault finished second in coach of the year voting.
The Thunder went 57-25 this season and clinched a tie for the best record in the West on the dramatic final day of the regular season.
Daigneault benefited from exceptional young talents to develop. Gilgeous-Alexander, 25, finished third in the league with 30.1 points per game this season and is a finalist for Most Valuable Player. 2022 first-round pick Jalen Williams averaged 19.1 points this season after being a finalist for Rookie of the Year last season. Josh Giddey, the sixth overall pick in 2021, averaged 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists this season.
But the key addition was Chet Holmgren. The No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft 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 the Rookie of the Year title.
Sacramento’s Mike Brown, named unanimous coach of the year last season and a winner with Cleveland in 2009, was impressed with how Daigneault so quickly created a solid team with the talent of general manager Sam Presti.
“Having the patience to go through the process, not panic and all being on the same page knowing that it’s a process — it’s just a beautiful sight to see from the outside,” Brown said . “Few NBA organizations, from ownership on down, are like that.”
But it goes beyond talent to work with. Williams is one of several players who have praised Daigneault’s communication skills.
“I think any time you can connect with the people you’re teaching, you can go so much further. … It makes us want to listen,” Williams said. “He also loves the game, and we can sense that from his approach and the amount of film, stats and analysis he looks at daily to prepare us for every game. I think when you can see that in as a player, I think it makes us want to play hard for him.
Daigneault says he listens because he knows he can’t do it alone.
“At the end of the day, we’re in this together,” he said. “We all work together to try to get the best thing and we don’t care where that idea comes from. If it comes from a player, a video assistant, it doesn’t matter. We’re just trying to come up with the best thing and move in the same direction.
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