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Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was voted because the Coach of the Yr by the Nationwide Basketball Coaches Affiliation, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday.
Daigneault helped information the Thunder to a file of 57-25 in the course of the 2023-24 common season, adequate for the No. 1 seed within the Western Convention. Oklahoma Metropolis has elevated its successful proportion in every of the previous three years beneath the previous assistant coach.
Wojnarowski revealed that different coaches to obtain votes have been the Cleveland Cavaliers’ J.B. Bickerstaff, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Chris Finch, the Boston Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla, and the Orlando Magic’s Jamahl Mosley.
Daigneault was employed as the top coach of the Thunder in 2020, though he is been part of the group since 2014. He began off as the top coach of the crew’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma Metropolis Blue, earlier than he moved to the NBA.
He is been in a position to develop a Thunder crew that has excelled on each ends of the court docket, proudly owning the second-best web score within the affiliation behind the 64-win Celtics (by way of NBA.com). Oklahoma Metropolis has remained profitable regardless of proudly owning one of many league’s youngest rosters, as all 5 of the crew’s high scorers are youthful than 26 years outdated.
The Thunder have been led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has blossomed into one of many NBA’s high gamers beneath Daigneault. Gilgeous-Alexander wrapped up his second consecutive yr averaging not less than 30 factors per sport, scoring 30.1 factors every night time on 53.5/35.3/87.4 taking pictures splits.
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23-year-old ahead Jalen Williams improved throughout the board throughout his sophomore marketing campaign, whereas 7’1″ middle Chet Holmgren averaged 16.5 factors and a pair of.3 blocks per sport throughout his stellar rookie season.
The Thunder have established themselves as one of many league’s high groups, which is much more spectacular contemplating how vivid the long run nonetheless is for a number of key contributors. Beneath Daigneault, Oklahoma Metropolis ought to stay a constant playoff contender for the foreseeable future.
