Scott Brooks

But just get your perspective on all this.

I don't think I've been this excited for a season since Scott Brooks' first year.

And why that year? John was coming back healthy.

Scott Brooks had a track record of being a really good coach in Oklahoma City.

He coached three future Hall of Famers.

And then that team won 49 games and that season they found themselves 12 minutes away from a conference final.

and who's the wizard this genuinely i have no idea i can't even give a guess like we're just gonna get it wrong just

it's not scott brooks is it

no no someone johnson frank johnson frank

johnson

Like I remember thinking back in fucking, 2011 and 2012 like when he was first in the league russ why are you pulling up at the elbow every time down the court when it's fucking uh it's just you and there's two defenders in front of you there's probably a guy wide open under the rim and someone in the corner but you're pulling up every single time in transition at the elbow it's like that's what first made me that exact thing which he would do every single time down the court when he would have the ball made me lose it why i like right from that point on did not like Russell Westbrook as a player was just, like you said, super frustrating to watch.

And his coaches between like, you know, Scotty Brooks early on in, you know, OKC and then fricking Billy Donovan.

Like he's, he had sort of these, these, these coaches who were, I don't know, you know, seem to be less, you know, less likely to get on him about the stupid shit that he did.

And I think he got it into his head, you know, over time that it's like, I need to be me.

It did not stop ringing just with texts, notifications, all this thing.

And right after I get my name call, I pick up the phone and it's the head coach who for the Thunder, who at the time was Scott Brooks.

He congratulates me.

Then he hands the phone to Sam Presti, the GM and Sam's like, all right, you and whoever you want, Tomorrow morning, 7 a.m., there will be a jet waiting for you at your airport.

Let's talk about Mark Dagnall.

What's his greatest superpower that he brings to this Oklahoma City Thunder team? We'll talk about the Thunder head coach, and also in our final segment, Jeremy Lamb is gonna tell us all about Scott Brooks.

What was it like to play for Scotty in Oklahoma City? We'll get the inside scoop as we continue here on the Oklahoma City Thunder Squad Show.

Welcome to your most rewarding NFL season ever, only on FanDuel.

And I think Mark Daigneault does a really great job of that through the entire 82-game regular season and in the postseason as well.

There have been four head coaches in the history of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

We're gonna talk about one of them in our next segment, Scott Brooks.

Uh, but you look at Mark, Rylan, and, and by far I think he is th- the best coach this team has had compared to Scotty or Billy Donovan or P.J. Carlesimo, who was head coach for a hot minute there.

His professional coaching journey has included the Tulsa 66ers, seven seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, in player development, analysis, and opposition scouting, two seasons as a Phoenix Suns assistant, and since 2023, a place on the Pistons staff.

Along the way, he's worked with coaches including Darko Rakovic, Scott Brooks, Billy Donovan, Mark Dagnall, Monty Williams, J.B. Bergerstaff, while helping develop players such as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Paul George, Kate Cunningham.

This past summer, Scalzi also served as the Detroit Pistons Summer League head coach.

Hey coach, brief interruption from your podcast to hear from one of our top supporters, Hoopsalytics.

I think the thing that's happened when we worked out on Saturday, which I sensed was very, very quiet.

Sunday we had a few more people, and I know Scott Brooks said on Sunday, he said yesterday when we came to the ballpark, I wasn't sure it was the right time or the right thing to do right now.

He said, I'm glad we did it.

And then yesterday, it was very normal out here for work out, but there was good energy.

And I had Rick Mahorn, who played with the Bad Boys, who was on the team as well.

And I, me, Scotty Brooks and Derrick Smith, Kenny Payne all lived in one side of the apartments where Ri- and, and where Charles Barkley lived in condos on the other side.

But whenever they went anywhere, he'd always come by and pick me up, take me to dinner, or I'd hang out with him and his family.

That's brilliant.