Mark Daigneault, only 40 years old, will be coaching in his first NBA Finals. A precocious coach who has led the Thunder to the fight for the ring after 13 seasons and after a restructuring that has not been easy. He is in his fifth campaign in Oklahoma and until the fourth he did not have a positive balance, suffering a balance of 22-50 in the premiere and a 24-58 in his second year.
Their success, like that of the entire franchise, has been a process, building with successful trades and draft picks that general manager Sam Presti has been hoarding with greed. The Thunder have a bright present, but also future options when their stars have to renew for the maximum and the big salaries force them to part with some pieces.
“My players are professionals, they have a lot of character, they are competitive… and idiots,” he joked after a pause as he was being buried under towels while speaking at the celebration for reaching the NBA Finals.
“They went through ups and downs and they represent everything it means to be a team. They deserve it, because they invest a lot in themselves. It’s huge what they built and I couldn’t be happier,” said the coach.
A special connection
There is a special connection between coach and squad. Daigneault has always had a knack for getting through to players. During various stages of his career, he was involved in recruiting and specific work with them. At the University of Florida, where he served as an assistant at the age of just 25, his boss there was Billy Donovan, the same man he had with the Thunder and whom he replaced in November 2020 when he was fired.
“It’s amazing to be around these players all year. They bring energy and I can coach at my best because of this group,” said Daigneault, who was already named Coach of the Year last season. This year, with a 68-14 record, the best in the NBA, he was not among the candidates
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