The Oklahoma City Thunder have been deemed a potential dynasty and a future contender way too many times.
However, perhaps it’s finally time to talk about them as a reality.
They’re great in the present, not just in the future.
With that in mind, it’s not much of a surprise to see Mark Daigneault leading the odds to win NBA Coach of the Year this season, according to Bovada via NBA Central.
Mark Daigneault is the favorite to win Coach of the Year, per @BovadaOfficial
Mark Daigneault +150
Chris Finch +200
Jamahl Mosley +600
Ime Udoka +1800
Rick Carlisle +2000
Nick Nurse +2500
Tyronn Lue +2500
Joe Mazzulla +3000
Jason Kidd +5000
Willie Green +5000
Adrian Griffin… pic.twitter.com/J7TkUsdWBl— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 30, 2023
The young coach is followed by Chris Finch (Minnesota Timberwolves), Jamahl Mosley (Orlando Magic), Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets), Rick Carlisle (Indiana Pacers), Nick Nurse (Philadelphia 76ers), Tyronn Lue (Los Angeles Clippers), Joe Mazzulla (Boston Celtics), Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks), Willie Green (New Orleans Pelicans), and Adrian Grifin (Milwaukee Bucks).
While not the most popular name in this list, Daigneault has been one of the best coaches in the game for quite a while now, uplifting his young talent and developing them into legit stars.
On top of that, GM Sam Presti has put together an unprecedented arsenal of draft picks, meaning they’re in the best position to either land the next superstar in the NBA Draft or trade for the biggest names that become available.
Even so, this team has proven that they can go toe-to-toe with the biggest powerhouses in the league as they stand now, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see them making a deep postseason run, especially considering they’re on pace to win 57 games this year, the most since the 2013-14 season and the Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook era.
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