Mark Daigneault’s ‘Standard’ Lifting Oklahoma City to New Heights

The Thunder’s head coach expects a lot out of his young team, and it’s paying off in a big way.

Although it may seem like it, Oklahoma City’s rise to the top didn’t happen overnight. It has been a process over the last few years, instilling a foundation and a culture to build on when the day to compete would come.

Part of that rebuild started when Russell Westbrook and Paul George were traded, but even then, Chris Paul and the team of veterans started setting the table for what was to come. When the full reset button was pressed, Oklahoma City hired Mark Daigneault to lead the Thunder through the dark days, and it has proven to be the best decision the organization could’ve made.

Daigneault holds everyone to a high standard, and that trickles down to the leaders on the team. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was on the team from Daigneault’s first days as head coach, and he’s demanded a lot out of his teammates. Part of that is thanks to Daigneault’s mindset and what he has demanded out of the team as a whole.

“He’s annoying,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Always nagging. But the best thing about him is that no matter who you are, he has a standard. 

“Doesn’t matter if you been here five years, if you’re the best player on the team, worst player on the team. If you got here last week. There’s a standard. I think that’s what’s allowed our culture to be what it is.”

The standard was set with tough defense, discipline, and grit on the floor. Even when Oklahoma City was at the top of the lottery, they still managed to have solid defenses that put up a fight. Daigneault knew that it would translate on both ends of the floor someday in the future.

The future came quicker than expected, and Daigneault’s demanding approach as a head coach has paid off. Oklahoma City has the No. 3 offensive rating and No. 4 defensive rating and looks like a contender by every single metric. The annoying nagging that Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned is all worth it if Oklahoma City continues to play this well as a team.

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