TD Garden a special place for Thunder coach and Leominster native Mark Daigneault to visit
"I’ve seen a lot of games here. I’ve watched the team on TV. Grew up a Celtics fan. So, to coach here obviously is special for me."
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault cherishes the memories of attending games with his family at TD Garden while growing up in Leominster. He would often go with his grandmother and parents.
“Those are formative experiences when you’re with the people you love, especially when you look back on it,” Daigneault said before his team dropped a 135-100 decision to the Celtics Wednesday night.. “So the memories here are more personal memories than they are, like, Paul Pierce making a shot, [although] I’ve seen plenty of that, too.”
Daigneault was asked where his friends’ and family’s allegiances lie now that he’s coaching Oklahoma City.
”Well, they don’t get tickets if they don’t root for us,” Daigneault said. “But, I mean, there’s StubHub. It’s fine. They can save up for it.
”It’s surreal. We’re in the grind of the season. There are not many times when you kind of look up and are reminded of things to be grateful for, but this is one of them for me. In this building, I’ve seen a lot of games here. I’ve watched the team on TV. Grew up a Celtics fan. So, to coach here obviously is special for me.”
Daigneault and Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla are among the top contenders for the Coach of the Year award.
The Thunderare battling the Timberwolves and defending champion Nuggets for the top spot in the Western Conference. On Tuesday, Mazzulla, who has guided the Celtics to the league’s best record, was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for March, marking the second time he was honored this season.
“What he’s doing in this environment, he’s got a Ferrari of a team with high expectations in a city with high expectations whether or not the team is a Ferrari,” Daigneault said. “He just is unflappable and makes the next best decision. They are incredibly well-coached on both ends of the floor.
“When you coach against him, you are put in tactical dilemmas which is part of having really good players, but they leverage that to the fullest. So, it’s very uncomfortable playing against them because of their talent and how well-constructed they are, but also coaching against him. I think that because of the talent on the team and the experience of the team and where the team is in it’s cycle, it’s been overlooked at how good of a job he’s done, but he’s one of the best coaches in the league.”
More than just sneakers
Coaches around the NBA, including Mazzulla, are wearing themed sneakers in honor of April being Autism Acceptance Month. The idea came from Jazz assistant Scott Morrison, whose son Max was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
”My relationship with Scott is love-hate. My relationship with his son is love,” Mazzulla said. “Max is my godson. I love him to death. I’m grateful that Scott gave me the opportunity to be in his life and it’s a great day to honor him and support people that have autism.
“Just like anything else, it’s one of those things where it’s about the people but also it’s seeing the effect it can have on families, marriages, and people, so you do the best you can to support it. I’m happy to do that for Max today.”
Horford checks in on UConn
Al Horford was a member of the 2007 Florida team that was the last to repeat as NCAA Men’s Tournament champions. UConn, which is in the Final Four after winning its regional at TD Garden, is looking to win back-to-back titles this year.
Horford said he’s been keeping tabs on the Huskies’ run and has come away impressed.
”It’s very difficult,” Horford said. “I found out that they were the first team to make the Final Four after winning the championship the year before, so that tells you how difficult it is. This UConn team, however, you can see they’re a little different than other teams. They’re playing at a totally different level.
”It’s been pretty impressive to watch how dominant they’ve been, how they really play as a team, and how they embody adversity. It seems like they embrace that. I think it comes from their coach and you see it. It’s been pretty special to watch.”
Daigneault served as a student manager for UConn under former Huskies coach Jim Calhoun from 2003-07 before making stops as an assistant coach at Holy Cross and Florida en route to the NBA.
“I wish they opened up a couple more leads,” Daigneault said jokingly of UConn, which has won three of its four tournament games by 25 points or more. “It’s unprecedented and crazy what they’ve been able to accomplish. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team just roll through the NCAA Tournament like this.”
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