NBA Coach of the Year: The Case for Billy Donovan

Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Billy Donovan lost his best player, received no help from his Front Office and has led the Thunder to a Top-5 record in the NBA Western Conference. Suffice to say the race for NBA Coach of the Year may already be over.

What Was Lost Can Never Come Back

Every Thunder fan remembers being one game away from the NBA Finals last year. That team included Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, Dion Waiters, Randy Foye and others who are no longer on the team. Each player who left took with them the experience they gained by playing a highly competitive Playoff series.

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The offensive efficiency seen over the last few years was either traded away or ran into the safety of Steph Curry’s skinny arms. Not only did last years team have a 1-2 punch in Durant and Westbrook; there were legitimate offensive options elsewhere on the court. The offensive system Coach Donovan instituted ran smoothly and would have been a match-up nightmare for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The statistical losses from the 15-16 Thunder exile are both sad and impressive. Offensively, the team lost 56.2 points per game when Durant, Ibaka, Waiters and Foye either left or were sent away. Similarly, those same former players represent 20.5 rebounds and nearly 10 assists per game. Durant also took pressure off of Russell Westbrook and covered up for Ibaka’s refusal to do anything but shoot 3’s from the corner.

56 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists a game are difficult to replace in one off-season (assuming the GM would actually try to help the coach out). While Waiters and Foye don’t account for a huge amount of those statistics they were nonetheless legitimate offensive threats. Looking forward, the saddest part is that Sam Presti has done nothing to replace the production that was lost.

Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

From his time at Florida through last season with the Thunder, Coach Donovan has been surrounded with talent. However, this season his Thunder have one star, multiple role players and a lack of offense on the bench.

Work With What You Got

The talent and production the Thunder lost last year has been thoroughly documented. Yet, the games continue and Billy D has a job to do. Any team that has Westbrook averaging a Triple-Double is going to be a successful team. Donovan has rightly hitched his wagon to the Triple Double Train and done his best to avoid catastrophic crashes.

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Unfortunately for Billy Donovan and the Thunder, Russ can’t play every minute or every position. The remaining offensive talent has been injured (Payne and Oladipo) and the second best player isn’t a dynamic weapon on offense (Steven Adams). Pure athletic ability can carry a team a long way when there are multiple players with such talent. For Donovan, coaching ability and strategy has had to replace the athletic potential of a “Big 3”.

Donovan has rightly hitched his wagon to the Triple Double Train and done his best to avoid catastrophic crashes.

Defending Billy Donovan

Florida fans will remember the hallmark of a Billy Donovan coached team is a stout defensive scheme. This years Thunder team plays sound defense much like those National Champion Florida teams. Ranked 7th in Defensive Efficiency, OKC has basically the same rating (1.021) as last years team. Players like Adams, Enes Kanter and Andre Roberson have flourished on the defensive side of the ball in Donovan’s system.

Consequently, while Westbrook is driving the offense, the team is solidifying the defense. Alongside of defense, rebounding is always an understated, but important factor to winning in the NBA. Considering what the team lost, they are still a top-10 Offensive Rebounding team, and a top-6 Defensive Rebounding team.