Why it's a 'blessing' for New Orleans' Willie Green to coach against OKC's Mark Daigneault

Willie Green didn't show many emotions while he fielded questions from the media prior to Game 1 between New Orleans and OKC on Sunday.

The third-year Pelicans coach was locked in as he leaned forward in his seat with his arms crossed. He still had his game face, which he perfected throughout his 12-year playing career.

But one question managed to penetrate the former guard's defense. Green was asked about facing OKC's Mark Daigneault, a fellow up-and-comer in the coaching world.

Green, 42, is the fifth-youngest head coach in the NBA. Daigneault is the third-youngest at 39, and he was recently named the National Basketball Coaches Association's NBA coach of the year.

"I thought about just what a blessing it is for both he and I," said Green, who had a smile on his face. "For him to be voted coach of the year, it's much deserved. We have an opportunity to go against each other in the playoffs. It's pretty cool, and it's a true blessing."

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Green and Daigneault became well-acquainted in 2016.

Green had taken a year off following the conclusion of his playing career, and he wanted to get into coaching. He searched his contacts for people to reach out to, and OKC general manager Sam Presti was one of the first names he saw.

This was around the time the Thunder was competing in Summer League. And even though OKC wasn't necessarily looking to add to its staff, Presti still invited Green to visit the team and see how it operates.

"Sam is interesting with this stuff," Daigneault said in February 2023. "If there's someone in the basketball world who's interesting to him, even if we don't have a job open, he likes having those people come through. You can learn from those people. Their impressions of the environment is valuable feedback for us.

"And that's sometimes the seeds of a future relationship where somebody is working here."

That's how OKC assistant coach Grant Gibbs ended up on the staff. Presti was a fan of the former Creighton guard, who played tenacious defense alongside Doug McDermott from 2011-14.

Gibbs got invited to visit the Thunder just like Green. He later got hired as an assistant coach for the OKC Blue, the Thunder's G League affiliate, in 2017.

"Grant's first time here wasn't like a job interview," Daigneault said. "It was just like we got him on site, and Willie was in that mold. ... That's like normal practice. It's not like it was a one-time thing with Willie."

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Green spent plenty of time with Daigneault during his visit to OKC.

Daigneault was the head coach of the Blue at the time, and he was also trying making a name for himself in the coaching world. It didn't take long for Daigneault to recognize that Green was driven as well.

"He was very serious about coaching," Daigneault said on Tuesday. "He had that from the beginning. ... He didn't come in just trying to dip his toe in the water. He was very, very focused on becoming a good coach the minute he decided to pursue that."

Green got his start as an assistant coach for Golden State in August 2016, and he wasted no time climbing the ranks.

After serving as an assistant coach with Golden State (2016-19) and Phoenix (2019-21), Green got hired as New Orleans' head coach in July 2021. He was only 39 years old.

Green had a rapid ascension. And even though he never spent time on OKC's staff, he views his brief visit with the team as the starting point for his coaching journey.

"(Presti) just opened the doors for me and let me come in," Green said. "I was with the guys on the floor and with the coaching staff. It was the first time that I felt like, 'OK, this may be something that I want to do.'"

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Green is 127-119 (.516) in his three seasons with the Pelicans. New Orleans also went 49-33 this regular season, which tied for its best record since 2009, despite numerous setbacks.

Brandon Ingram missed 12 games down the stretch of the regular season due to a knee contusion. Zion Williamson is also out due to a hamstring strain he suffered during the play-in tournament.

"They've endured quite a bit," Daigneault said. "I've always just been impressed from afar at how steady (Green) is able to keep that team. How motivated they stay. How hard they continue to play through all circumstances, when things are going well and when things are going poorly. And I think that's a reflection of him."

Green and his team showed that perseverance in Game 1 on Sunday.

OKC earned a 94-92 home win over a short-handed New Orleans team that kept it close until the final buzzer. The Pelicans nearly escaped with a victory, but a 3-pointer by CJ McCollum rimmed out in the final seconds.

As New Orleans' players walked off the court, Green looked across the sideline to Daigneault and raised his left hand. It was a sign of respect for his fellow head coach after a hard-fought game.

And as OKC prepares to host Game 2 at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Daigneault knows his team is in store for another battle against Green and New Orleans.

"They don't make a lot of mistakes," Daigneault said. "They're very organized, and he's a very principled person and coach. That shows up with the way that the team plays. ... He's forged himself into a very good coach in a very short period of time."

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Pelicans' Willie Green sparked coaching career with 2016 visit to OKC