We’re doing NBA Awards Watch every Thursday until the end of the regular season. Each week we’ll emphasize a new award. This week, we’ve got Coach of the Year, which often comes down to whether a candidate surprised us with how well his team did.

Mark Daigneault is making a strong case for NBA Coach of the Year as the Oklahoma City Thunder continue to impress.

“We’re aware, but it’s not a topic of conversation,” coach Kenny Atkinson said prior to Sunday’s game. “We’re extremely process-oriented. I don’t talk about winning, for instance.