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It’s hard to believe that the NBA regular season is nearing its end. Thus far this season, we have seen plenty of surprises, none bigger than the play of the Oklahoma City Thunder. This team hasn’t been taken seriously in recent years, but goodness, they’ve completely changed the narrative thus far this campaign. Right now, they have the best record in the Western Conference. Because of that, Mark Daigneault is the favorite to win 2024 NBA Coach of the Year.
This shouldn’t be a stunner, as what he’s been able to do with the Thunder has been nothing short of brilliant. Entering the games the team has this weekend, OKC is 48-20, just ahead of the Denver Nuggets for the No. 1 seed out West. This figures to be a close battle the rest of the way between the two powerhouses for that top spot, but people in Oklahoma have a ton of confidence in the Thunder. Daigneault is a major reason for that.
| NBA COY odds |  |  |  |
| Daigneault to win | -250 | -250 | -250 |
| Mazzulla to win | +250 | +250 | +250 |
| Finch to win | +850 | +850 | +850 |
| Mosley to win | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
What he’s been able to do as head coach has been tremendous and he’s receiving national attention for his efforts. The Thunder have gone from a team that people didn’t think would even make the playoffs, to a squad that has seen their NBA Finals betting odds skyrocket. Yes, the young talent has delivered on both ends of the floor, but you can’t argue with the fact that Daigneault has helped them get to this point.
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, Daigneault has -250 NBA betting odds to be named Coach of the Year. This goes to show you that people all over Las Vegas think he has a great chance of receiving the honor. Hey, if it were to happen, we’d be happy for him and say that he is deserving. However, we’re going in a different direction for our selection in this case.
I asked Mark Daigneault about the process of shot feedback and teaching guys to cut down on bad shots, “hopefully when they shoot a shot that we don’t love, they don’t love it either” explained how it’s a process of explaining what they’re looking for organizationally: pic.twitter.com/vrTvQDUYUQ
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) March 20, 2024
Joe Mazzulla is our pick to be NBA Coach of the Year
He may not hold the kind of odds that Daigneault does, but Joe Mazzulla is our pick to be NBA Coach of the Year. What Mazzulla has been able to do with Boston this season can’t be ignored. Not only does Boston have the best record in the Eastern Conference, but they also have the top record in the NBA as a whole. The Celtics hold the top NBA Finals betting odds for a reason: they’re looking like the team to beat.
You of course can’t bring up the Celtics without discussing Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown. Tatum leads the way for the Celtics with his 27 points per game. As for Brown, he has also been quite strong with his scoring, putting 23 points on the board each night. The fact that they’re combining for 50 points a night makes Mazzulla’s job a lot easier, but he has also worked wonders for this team on the defensive end.
Joe Mazzulla playing defense 🤣 pic.twitter.com/RAZ8qyI2Gd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 15, 2024
Boston is 55-14 this season and they’ve actually won seven games in a row. The fact that they’ve also won eight out of their last 10 games shows you how dominant they can be when they get into a strong rhythm. It’s looking like this team has what it takes to bring home another title. With that said, the winner of the NBA Finals could play a big role in the MVP race, plus the Coach of the Year battle too.
Per the oddsmakers, Mazzulla has +250 NBA betting odds to win Coach of the Year. Could you imagine if the Thunder and Celtics go on to meet in the Finals? It could end up determining who is named the best coach in the league. It will be interesting to see how things shape out here, but both Mazzulla and Daigneault are top contenders for the award. It will be close, but we’re going to go with Mazzulla here because we also think the Celtics will win it all.
The Thunder and Celtics could meet in the NBA Finals
As we mentioned above, the Thunder and Celtics could meet in the NBA Finals. This is not something we thought we’d be discussing with the Thunder, but they’ve managed to shock a lot of people. Right now, the Thunder hold +300 NBA betting odds to win the Western Conference and move on to the Finals.
Out West, experts think it will come down to either OKC or Denver. They’re the top two teams and them meeting in the postseason would be a lot of fun to watch. As for the Celtics, they’re the heavy favorites to win the Eastern Conference and then enjoy home-court advantage in the Finals thanks to their top record.
With the way Boston is playing, we think they’ll cruise to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and lock up the home-court advantage throughout the postseason. This will give them a major leg up on the competition. We’ll have to wait and see how things go down here, but we’re going to be keeping a close eye on Oklahoma City and Boston the rest of the way, no doubt about that.
