<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Going online now: ESPN sources say Thunder & Billy Donovan nearing agreement to make him next OKC coach, with announcement likely THU or FRI</p>— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/593601016953704448">April 30, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Thunder need everyone healthy at playoffs and a coach that can at least somewhat control Westbrook. Control in a positive way. Not take away his awesomeness, just make it more of a winning awesomeness (see Pop with Parker, Phil with Kobe). Is Donovan that? I have no clue. He won two titles but with a completely stacked team that came back. I couldnt comment on his coaching. As a Rockets fan I'm not concerned about the Thunder any more than I was before. But he could be an amazing coach. I have no clue.
If I'm a Thunder fan, I'm pretty underwhelmed. Coaches going from college to NBA has some pretty low success rates.
Coaches in general have pretty low success rates. The vast majority get fired after about 4-5 years. There isn't really enough solid data to suggest much about success rates for college vs pro coaches, I don't think - most of it is just anecdotal data of remembering the failures like Calipari or Pitino.
Yeah, I'm not sure why OKC didn't get someone more...accomplished. It's not like OKC is where coaches go to die. Durant / WB / Ibaka is absolutely amazing. That said, college coaches can jump to the NBA, but I think they need to start with a young team a la Kidd's Bucks this year, or the 76ers, instead of immediately landing on a team with its star players already having Finals experience.
Donovan had some amazing recruiting years, and some of his former players from his title teams are now in the playoffs. I've never seen him as a savant type guru like Stevens though. He won when he had the best talent, and that's definitely an accomplishment, but I'm with the "underwhelmed" crowd. Seems like a decent dude, so good luck to him except vs. Milkhair.
Brad Steven's success came from his coaching skill. Even Pops said that he stole plays from him. His best player was Gordon Heyward Donovan won because he had a loaded team that consisted of future NBA all-stars.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">According to the latest NBA coaching scuttle, Billy Donovan could be on Oklahoma City soil as soon as tomorrow (Thursday)</p>— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/593615862961147904">April 30, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Weak attempt for okc to be "relevant" and on the cutting edge. Boston took the best hire from college: brad stevens. the more i watch the moves okc are making the more i realize how much their are clueless to their general perception among fans of the nba. they are about to go through a bunch of growing pains and they are about to see how the other half lives without durantula on their team.
Memphis seems okay even though they lost that guys who was "about to show the world he's on Durant's level."
Feels like OKC's been trying to ride the young player success ever since the Durant/Westbrook/Harden days. Trying to recreate that success by surrounding Durant/Westbrook with players that "could" be good (Kanter, Waiters, McGary, Lamb, Singler, etc.). This is just the next logical step that likely nets them the same result. Just feels like they're trying to do to someone what the Rockets did to them with Harden.
