Billy Donovan – OKC Thunder
Ultimately, voters will look at this with their set of criteria. I’m of the school that a coach shouldn’t win CoY simply because he has the league’s best player on his team. That’s why Billy Donovan deserves so much credit — he lost two superstars, had to integrate nine new players and change much of his schemes.
That to me ranks higher up the list than Coach Bud. For that matter what Taylor Jenkins did with a roster primarily built of rookies, sophomores, and players under 25 is more impressive as well.
The OKC Thunder roll in as the fifth seed having only lost out on home court because the Rockets won their division. This is the same squad who was given a two percent chance of making it to the postseason.
It can’t be reiterated enough times – Donovan lost two top 10 talents (Russell Westbrook, Paul George) and a player who factored large (Jerami Grant) in the Thunder defensive schemes. All while having to integrate nine new players.
He had to get Chris Paul to buy in on his schemes which can’t be underplayed. Sure CP3 was highly professional but if he and Danilo Gallinari aren’t 100 percent committed this season turns out entirely different and it would’ve affected how the youngsters progressed.
One area where Nurse got the nod over Donovan was the injuries. Consider how the Thunder performed in the seeding games missing multiple players and that was what Nurse dealt with constantly.
After the team had time to gel and get some experience with the clutch time three point guard lineup Donovan’s squad went on a roll. From Thanksgiving on, they were consistently a top-five team defensively and often offensively. They were unbeatable in the clutch registering the best clutch time win percentage in the NBA (and it wasn’t close).
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Donovan’s crew ranked eighth defensively, second in the seeding games and are ninth in the playoffs. They tied for the 13th ranked offense and are 12th in the playoffs although that number feels like it might improve now that Luguentz Dort is back and they won’t have to expend as much energy collectively guarding James Harden.
They ranked 11th in net differential in-season and are 10th in the playoffs but again that should change now that Dort is back.
The Thunder coach got his squad to shift systems and yet they’ve excelled ranking second on perimeter defense and ranked first at stopping teams from scoring in transition.
Billy Donovan had a great season especially considering what this past offseason could’ve translated into this year. The award lands with the right individual but Billy gets his peers recognition on the other award and finishing in the top three is also a huge sign of respect.