Team excited to have Donovan’s contract guaranteed for another year
Thunder coach Billy Donovan broke from his discussion of young players adjusting from college to the NBA for a moment of self-reflection.
“I knew that, right? A couple years ago, knew what that was like,” he said last month.
Now a third of the way through Donovan’s fourth season as an NBA coach, the Thunder has exercised the fifth-year option on Donovan’s contract, guaranteeing it through next season.
Four years after OKC plucked Donovan from the college ranks, the head coach has amassed
a 169-106 record and three playoff berths in a league that spent almost a decade avoiding hiring
college coaches to head its teams.
“That’s exciting, man,” Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook said of the team picking up Donovan’s contract option. “Billy’s been nothing but great for our organization, for myself. He’s been very understanding when he first got here and the same now. Excited to have him back.”
Apprehension about college coaches’ ability to lead NBA players still loomed when Donovan took the helm in OKC, even though the Celtics’ hire of Brad Stevens out of Butler in 2013 ended a nine-year period in which no NBA team hired a head coach without prior NBA experience.
Then former Thunder star Kevin Durant stoked fans’ old fears last year when a post on his official Twitter account, which he later apologized for,
said he didn’t like playing for Donovan.
But for Paul George, open communication with Donovan over the potential MVP candidate’s past two seasons with the Thunder has built good chemistry between player and coach, he said.
“We’ve had a lot of talks about communication, when to be aggressive, when to attack, when to make plays, when to be assertive, when to look for one another,” George said.
Donovan describes a balance between having an ongoing discussion with his players and standing firm in his beliefs about the right way to do things.
“I think communication needs to be open, it needs to be honest, and it needs to be upfront with them,” Donovan said before the Thunder’s 121-96 win over the Bulls on Monday. “... I find if you’re open and honest and you’re respectful you can really talk to these guys about anything. They all want to get better. They all want to improve. Now, I don’t think anyone wants to be embarrassed or verbally beaten down.”
He’s found that at every level he’s coached.
Just seven months ago, after OKC exited the NBA playoffs in the first round, Thunder general manager Sam Presti had to answer the question of whether Donovan would be back for the 2018-19 season in his postseason news conference. His answer was a definitive, “yes.”
Now the Thunder (1910) continue to hover among the top three teams in the league, despite Westbrook missing seven games to two different injures. Presti has sent the clear message that Donovan is OKC’s guy.
“That’s good for Billy,” George said. “I just know how it could be with pressure. Sam really alleviated that, allowed him to just coach us, not have to worry about that.”
We’ve had a lot of talks about communication, when to be aggressive, when to attack, when to make plays, when to be assertive, when to look for one another.”
Paul George