Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan was voted co-Coach of the Year by the National Basketball Coaches Association, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Donovan and Milwaukee Bucks’ Mike Budenholzer tied for the most votes from the 30 coaches around the NBA.
Under Donovan, the Thunder have far surpassed expectations this season despite a completely transformed roster. Given odds of 32.5 wins, Oklahoma City was 40-24 entering the bubble and had already secured a playoff spot.
The Thunder completely overhauled their play style after trading away stars Russell Westbrook and Paul George over the offseason.
With Chris Paul’s slower half-court style, the Thunder were meticulous and lethal, particularly during clutch time with the three-guard lineup.
Donovan’s ability to split up playing time between those three guards and get two of them on the court as much as possible was a driver for this team that lacks offensive firepower off the bench beyond Dennis Schroder.
For the Thunder’s success even with an almost brand-new corps, Donovan was recognized by his peers.
Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse was in third place and just one vote away from a three-way tie. Nurse has been the leader among official media ballots that have been revealed.
The Memphis Grizzlies’ Taylor Jenkins, Indiana Pacers’ Nate McMillan, Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra, Boston Celtics’ Brad Stevens and Los Angeles Lakers’ Frank Vogel also received votes, according to Wojnarowski.
