What a Difference a Coach Makes: The Influence Of Scott Brooks

On November 21, 2008, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach PJ Carlesimo was relieved of his duties, and assistant coach Scott Brooks was named head coach for the remainder of the 2008-2009 season.

The Thunder were 1-12 under Carlesimo when Brooks took over.  Although Brooks didn't fair too well either to start his tenure (2-17 in his first 19 games), something happened after this point:

The Thunder started to win.

From Brooks' first game v. the New Orleans Hornets on November 22, the team instantly looked more competitive, and it set the tone for the season.  The team played harder, gave maximum effort, and had the desire each night to fight to finish for a W.

Brooks' leadership has earned him respect from his players, a vote of confidence from the front office, and a legitimate chance to make the playoffs for the 2009-2010 season.

The key to this turnaround:  third quarter scoring differential.

Some data:

Not including Coach Brooks' first 19 games as head coach, starting with a New Year's Eve win v. the Golden State Warriors, the Thunder have played 70 games under Coach Brooks.  From this point (through Monday December 7, 2009), the Thunder:

*Have won over 44 percent of these games under Coach Brooks (compared to less than eight percent under Carlesimo)

*Have led at the end of the third quarter in nearly half (48.5 percent) of these games (compared to less than eight percent under Carlesimo)

*Have won 82 percent of these games when leading after three quarters (compared to zero percent under Carlesimo)

As seen by the third quarter scoring differential, the Thunder have played more competitively during this period, and more importantly, put themselves in a position to win a significant proportion of these games.  The key to the success of the Thunder lies in the third quarter, and Coach Brooks has his team playing exceptionally well during this time frame.

Brooks is leading the Thunder in the right direction, and with his guidance and learning the ability for him and his players to win games, the Thunder will be heard continuously in the NBA for many years to come.