To help ease his transition from college to the pros, Donovan is following a similar blueprint.
Mark Bryant and Darko Rajakovic, who served under ex-Thunder coach Scott Brooks, are expected to be retained. Former Alabama head coach Anthony Grant, who worked under Donovan at both Marshall and Florida, will also join his former mentor in Oklahoma City, per Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman.
Williams' biggest strength during his run in the Big Easy was player development. He helped Anthony Davis emerge from a raw 19-year-old rookie to an MVP candidate and one of the NBA's best players in just three seasons. He also had a hand in turning afterthoughts like Alexis Ajinca and Norris Cole into serviceable role players.
"About three hours before every game, long before most other players have arrived at the arena, Westbrook goes through a meticulous individual workout on the court. He’s been doing it for years.
Cheeks used to run the workout, showing up early and navigating Westbrook through the different drills and shooting routines. It helped them form a bond.
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Small forward Kyle Singler, who is a restricted free agent and may not even be on the roster next season, told ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein that the Thunder had every player meet with Donovan personally. The Duke product said he walked away from his brief meeting impressed with OKC's new sultan of the sidelines.
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