Common bonds permeate Mark Daigneault OKC Thunder coaching staff

Mark Daigneault’s OKC Thunder coaching team features several returnees but there are other common bonds permeating the staff.

The OKC Thunder roster isn’t the only thing experiencing major changes this offseason. When Billy Donovan’s contract was finished at season end the bench boss and the Thunder front office mutually agreed to part ways. For Donovan, his stock was at its apex having got his club to surpass all expectations and coming one shot short of reaching the semi-finals.

His peers voted him Coach of the Year (tied with Mike Budenholzer) and the media ranked him in the top three behind their winner Raptors head man, Nick Nurse.

The Thunder hadn’t just succeeded they smashed preseason expectations. Much of the reason why was tied to choices Donovan made with the system, particularly offensively. Donovan’s three point guard closing lineup ruled the association in clutch time.

Donovan was in a position to capitalize on his success. The Bulls quickly hired him, although for a club that missed the playoffs in four of the last five seasons it was odd when Billy D called the Bulls a team poised to make a title run.

Ultimately, Donovan reached the playoffs in each of his five years in OKC but only got past the first round once (his first year) while Kevin Durant was still with the Thunder.

OKC Thunder coaching staff share common bonds

With Billy D’s departure, Sam Presti began the process to look for a new bench boss that could navigate the shifting strategy of the franchise. It’s also likely Presti’s priority was to find a bench boss who could simultaneously grow with a young team and be in a position to succeed with them in a few years.

That person ended up being Mark Daigneault. Peeling away the layers Daigneault was a logical and obvious Presti choice. Although the new head coach has experience elsewhere he primarily honed his skills within the Thunder system. He’s proven his ability in player development which is the key priority for this phase of the Thunder.

That attribute is resonating across his coaching team as the majority of Daigneault’s staff is experienced and successful in player development and growth.

On Wednesday,  Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman outlined the full team who’ll form the new OKC Thunder coaching staff. Four assistant coaches are in place with three returnees (Mike Wilks, David Akinyooye, and Dave Bliss) as well as the addition of Mike Miller. The latter addition offers up some wisdom and experience as Miller was the interim Knicks head coach.

Wilks was a Thunder scout for seven seasons prior to joining the Thunder coaching staff last season. As a reserve guard, Wilks played 233 games in the NBA including his final season with the OKC Thunder where he appeared in four games.

Ykinyooye shares a bond with Presti having spent time in the Spurs development system and has strong ties with Daigneault having been his assistant with the OKC Blue. His player development prowess with the Blue and Spurs as well as his familiarity with Daigneault will likely find him being a key voice in the huddles and strategy sessions.

"“This group has proven to be great collaborators during their time with the Thunder, complementing their ability to help develop our team and players,” Daigneault said in a statement. “They all share a deep commitment and understanding for the values of the organization and are dedicated to being continuous learners."

More from Thunderous Intentions

• Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
• Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
• 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
• Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

As much as this coaching crew is predominantly comprised of existing OKC Thunder staff, there is also a strong G-League flavor permeating the group. Although Miller’s last gig was as the Knicks interim coach he gained much of his recognition in the G-League winning G-League Coach of the Year in 2017-18 with the Westchester Knicks.

Bliss reflects the many parallels on the staff have worked with the Knicks in player development while Miller was there. He also began his career like Presti and Daigneault in the film room.

With player development, the mandate for the next few seasons the team earmarked Zach Peterson and Kameron Woods as coaches with this specialty as their focus.  Like the majority of Daigneault’s team both are Thunder returnees with Woods moving over from the Blue and Peterson returning in the same role.

The emphasis for Daigneault’s group is player development, constancy, familiarity with the Thunder culture, and a willingness to learn and grow.

The clear common trend of this staff is other than Miller they are all tethered to the OKC Thunder system. Clearly, Sam Presti is sending a message this coaching crew wil also learn and grow in lockstep with the youthful roster.