Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Thunder's Mark Daigneault shares his Coach of the Year pick

By Dylan Williams | Last updated 4/3/23

The end of the NBA regular season is on the horizon, and so is the announcement of the NBA's award winners.

While the main attraction is the Most Valuable Player Award, the honor of Coach of the Year is an intriguing debate in its own right, headlined by Sacramento's Mike Brown.

On Monday, the Oklahoma City Thunder's Mark Daigneault shared his support for the coach of the upstart Kings.

"I voted for Mike Brown," Daigneault said to reporters. "[The Kings] have not made the playoffs in a long time, and I think because of that, there was an external stigma that existed around that team. He really brought a swagger and confidence to a group and to an organization that externally looked like it really needed it."

Mark Daigneault disclosed that he voted for Mike Brown for the NBCA’s COTY, saying he’s admired the job he’s done for a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2006:

“I have a lot of admiration for the cultural flip that he’s been able to do there.” pic.twitter.com/eHd4e8JJmW
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 3, 2023

Before Brown's hire last offseason, the Kings were mired in one of the worst stretches in professional sports. Before 2023, the franchise's streak of 16 straight seasons without a playoff appearance was the longest drought in NBA history.

Entering Monday, the Kings are slotted in the third seed in the Western Conference thanks to the most high-powered offenses in the league. After ranking 25th in offensive rating in 2021-22, the Kings' 119.8 rating ranks as the best in the NBA. The team's 121.4 points per game are also the best in the league. Overall, the Kings' 47 wins are the most by the franchise since the 2004-05 season.

Meanwhile, while Daigneault gave his support to Brown, he has established his own case this season. After finishing with less than 30 wins the last two years, the 38-41 Thunder are currently the 10th seed in the loaded Western Conference and one game behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for ninth.

Vegas Insider currently has Brown as the betting favorite to win the award, followed by Boston's Joe Mazzulla, Denver's Michael Malone and Mike Budenholzer of the Milwaukee Bucks. Daigneault (+2000) is fifth in the odds.

More must-reads: