He may be in his first year as a head coach in the league, but Billy Donovan’s understanding of the NBA organization he’s been charged with overseeing has been excellent during this 2015-16 campaign, and through 10 games in the postseason.
Part of the reason Donovan has had success has been the way he’s utilized the people around him. With no egos in place, the Thunder coaches have leaned on relationships with one another and the team’s players in order to prepare the squad in the best way possible. Receiving input from every valuable source and then presenting it in a digestible way is a wonderful way to lead a team, and it stems from a reliance on the collective effort of the group.
“Every coach is always preaching to their team that they want chemistry, cohesiveness, unselfishness and sacrifice,” Donovan said. “I really believe that you can’t expect your team to do that unless your coaching staff models it first.”
“We’re all trying to help each other out with scouting,” center Steven Adams confirmed. “It’s good that they’re so open-minded and don’t have an ego about them.”
Look Back at Game 5 Win:
With the external noise at its loudest during the Playoffs, there’s are always narratives surrounding every game. The Thunder, led by Donovan, ignores all of that and looks internally at what it can do, as a unit, to be the best it can be. Instead of pointing fingers or dishing out praise or blame, Donovan and his staff have stayed steady.
“He’s not like that. We’re all doing this together. That’s how we feel,” forward Kevin Durant said. “He doesn’t really want the credit for any of it. He doesn’t really care. All those coaches do it together just like the players do it together on the floor. We all come together as one and try to figure things out. He’s done a great job of keeping us poised and relaxed. We just try to be an extension of him on the floor. Not just the point guard, but all of us.”
Game 6 Preview:
Substitution patterns, player groupings and tactical adjustments are all a part of the head coach’s job once the ball is tipped, but in the NBA there is a ton of work that gets done even before the team gets to the arena. Preparing the team’s players with opponents’ play calls, tendencies and personnel information is important. Providing the right amount in the right way can make the difference, as players try to apply that knowledge into on-court situations.
“Our scout book is pretty much a Harry Potter book really,” Adams joked, describing the staff’s thoroughness. “They do a good job and try to let us know which plays they’re running.”
That off-court planning can be coupled with the flow of the game and a continued commitment to player improvement throughout the season. One of the key decisions Donovan and his staff have made in this series against the Spurs has been electing to utilize Adams and Enes Kanter as a frontcourt duo together in the fourth quarter of Games 4 and 5.
The Thunder has dominated on the glass in those situations, grabbing 52.5 percent of offensive rebounds and 86.3 percent of defensive rebounds this series with those two players on the court. The duo has also held up on the defensive end, posting a rating of 89.7 points per 100 possessions allowed in 53 total minutes of play. Part of that is a recognition of matchups, another is Kanter’s improvement defensively, thanks to the coaching staff’s efforts throughout the year.
“If you compare me right now to the beginning of the season or last year, I feel so much more comfortable and have so much more confidence,” said Kanter, who had three blocked shots and 13 rebounds in Game 5.
Durant Praises Fan Reception at the Airport
As Thunder players strode down the airplane steps just after midnight after the crucial Game 5 victory over the Spurs, they were greeted by raucous cheers from over 500 Oklahomans who had gathered at the airport. One by one, members of the team walked by the chain-linked fence to greet the fans, giving high-fives and signing autographs. Players took to their own social media to praise the fan base, and at practice on Wednesday, Durant was amazed by the fans’ loyalty and support of the team.
“I think I saw on Twitter that win or lose, they were going to be there,” Durant said. “That just shows how dedicated and passionate they are about basketball and about us as players and as men. I’m just grateful to have people who care about you so much.”