Why Erik Spoelstra praised Mark Daigneault before Thunder-Heat game
OKC is the biggest breakout team in the NBA this season.
After making the play-in last year, the Thunder is 44-19 this time around and first in the Western Conference standings. A big reason for its success is Mark Daigneault, who's the betting favorite to win Coach of the Year.
Daigneault has also won the respect of his peers, including Erik Spoelstra. Prior to a game against OKC on Friday, the Miami head coach praised Daigneault for his work.
"He's very good," Spoelstra said. "I think he's built a system that really makes sense. ... It just makes a lot of sense. Their spacing, their actions, how the system benefits their best players but their role players fit in and add to that."
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Spoelstra's words hold weight. The two-time champion was named by the NBA as a top 15 coach in league history, and he was once in a position similar to Daigneault.
Spoelstra became Miami's head coach in 2008 at the age of 37, making him the youngest head coach in the league at the time. He then led the Heat to a championship in his fourth season.
Daigneault became OKC's head coach in 2020 at the age of 35, making him the second-youngest head coach in the league at the time. Now in his fourth season, he has OKC looking like a championship contender.
In addition to ranking fourth in the NBA in points per game (120.8), OKC is fifth in team defensive rating (111.5). The group has bought in despite being one of the youngest in the league, and Spoelstra thinks Daigneault deserves plenty of credit.
"Defensively, they're very underrated," Spoelstra said. "I don't think people talk about their defense enough. I know they talk about the shot blocking and the length, but they're extremely disruptive. They can get you out of rhythm by forcing turnovers and getting after you.
"For a young team, you typically don't see that. But they're committed on that side of the floor. I think Mark is a big part of that. He's done a great job this year."
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Why Erik Spoelstra praised Mark Daigneault before Thunder-Heat game
