To say that head coach Mark Daigneault has had a positive impact at the Oklahoma City Thunder would be perhaps something of an understatement and currently the 40 year old’s side are leading the NBA title betting having completed an excellent regular season before seeing off the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs with ease.
This is Daigneault’s fifth season in charge at the Paycom Center franchise, and last time around, he led the Thunder to the Conference semifinals, and if anything, his team has gotten even stronger. Their run of 68 regular-season wins is a franchise-high, and the chances of a first title since the late 1970s, during their Seattle Supersonics’ days, are growing by the day.
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The manner in which the Thunder saw out the regular season and then breezed past the Grizzlies is the main reason they are the favorites to go all the way and they face the Denver Nuggets in the Conference semifinals where Daigneault sees his side come up against former Thunder hero, Russell Westbrook, an occasion that will be bittersweet for all concerned.
The 36-year-old, nine-time NBA All-Star pick was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder, then the Seattle Supersonics, in 2008, and he enjoyed 11 years at the franchise, becoming a legend among the team’s fans and now the meeting of Westbrook is going to be one of the talking points ahead of the clash.
Head coach Daigneault is more than aware of what Westbrook can do and expects the veteran to be on his best game.
“He always brings great energy and competitiveness to the game. Especially when he's off the bench, you have to account for the fact that he's going to come into the game ready to rock,"
"The pace of the game is gonna go up and he's gonna try to make something happen right off the bat and you can't flat-foot him in that way."
On the emotions that are sure to be on display, he added.
"We understand the relationship he has to the organization, fanbase, everybody here. The relationship they have with him. He’s an unbelievable philanthropist in the community,"
"This is a place he really resonates with him and a place that resonates with him." Daigneault commented.
Over the course of his eleven seasons with the team, Westbrook helped Oklahoma to nine postseason runs, including a defeat to the Miami Heat in the 2012 NBA Finals series, and now he’ll be looking to dump out his former team, in what is sure to be a fascinating encounter.
