Early season report card: Billy Donovan is on thin ice
The OKC Thunder have gone through quite a bit of adversity under head coach Billy Donovan. But all things considered, is he the right man for the job?
Since signing a five-year contract to be the head coach of the OKC Thunder in 2015, Billy Donovan has faced his fair share of adversity. Like every coach in the league, his decisions are put under the microscope. But taking over at a turning point in the franchise’s history put Donovan in a unique position in terms of job security.
Constant turnover:
In his first two seasons at the helm, Donovan got a little taste of the roller coaster the Thunder have been riding since the move from Seattle. He coached the team all the way to the Western Conference Finals in his first season and followed it up with a frustrating sophomore year which saw the Thunder clinch a playoff spot in a photo finish on the back of an MVP season by Russell Westbrook.
“Coach, during the timeouts, he was talking to us. Us as players, teammates, we were talking and communicating all over. I think that was a key to the game.”
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 13, 2018
- Dennis Schröder on getting shots they want. pic.twitter.com/XQxEELp158
The roster turned over again his third year when GM Sam Presti acquired Paul George and Carmelo Anthony just before the start of the season, and again at the beginning of this year with the acquisition of Dennis Schroder and Nerlens Noel. But just when the dust appeared to be settling from all of the turnover, Westbrook misses seven of the first 14 games.
Regardless of how you feel about Donovan as a coach, there’s no debating his challenge has been steep. He’s gone through as much or more than any other coach in the league, but shouldn’t be given a free pass for his shortcomings.