ESPN Sources: The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Mark Daigneault has been voted the National Basketball Coaches Association's NBA coach of the year. Voting is among the league’s 30 head coaches.
Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate as Mark Daigneault becomes the new NBA's coach of the year
NBATuesday, 16 April 2024 at 01:28
The National Basketball Coachs Association selected as Oklahoma City Thunder's head coach, Mark Daigneault as the 2023-24 NBA Coach of the year today. A great recognition for his work with an OKC team that exceeded everyone's expectations finishing at the top of the Western Conference.
The team not only survived one of the toughest version of the Western Conference but suceeded, finishing with a remarkable 57-25 record, shared with the second in the West, the Denver Nuggets. The Thunder holded the tiebreaker by winning the individual series against the reigning champions 3-1.
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Daigneault has increased the amount of team wins every year since his arrival to Oklahoma. In three seasons he went from 24 to 40, and in this season the team surpassed it again, reaching 57 victories. It's a gigantic leap for a team like the Thunder, a squad filled with young players, most of them drafted by the franchise.
"It is humbling to be chosen for this honor by my peers, for whom I have a great deal of respect and admiration," Daigneault said. "Our team's success this season has been driven by a group of talented players, whose commitment and competitiveness has been uncommon. Coaching them is a privilege," concluded the 39-year-old head coach.
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as one of the top candidates for winning the MVP award, Oklahoma City led the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage, and finished top five in nearly 15 top offensive categories. In addition, the Thunder and the Celtics are the only two teams this season to rank in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Other coaches who received votes were the Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Wolves' Chris Finch, Boston Celtics' Joe Mazzulla and Orlando's Jamahl Mosley.
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