Tag: Oklahoma City Thunder

Mark Daigneault won’t back down from rotation philosophy in NBA playoffs

Mark Daigneault will not back down from rotation philosophy in NBA playoffs.

Through five games in the playoffs, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has stuck to his philosophy.

The Coach of the Year winner is known for having expanded rotations. During his tenure, Daigneault has discussed ad nauseam the benefits of keeping everybody warm.

It rewards players for sticking to the Thunder’s brand of basketball and keeps everybody engaged. Daigneault stuck with this mindset in his playoffs debut.

Nine Thunder players have averaged 12-plus minutes in the playoffs. Ten have averaged over seven minutes per contest. The approach has worked: OKC is 5-0 in the postseason so far.

Daigneault discussed his reasoning for keeping his playoff rotation lengthy instead of cutting it to the essential players.

“Every team is different. This particular team is deep. The difference between Player X and Player Y is not very much,” Daigneault said. “A lot of guys bring different things to the table. I’m of the mentality we may eventually need (someone). I think we can need Kenrich Williams in a series — maybe this one.

“I’ve had conversations with him about keeping himself ready. Just the mindset of expanding our options. It’s unfair to a guy to need him and go to him in a big spot when you have to dust him off to get him there.”

The 39-year-old referenced Aaron Wiggins’ monster performance in the Thunder’s Game 1 win over the Dallas Mavericks. He totaled 16 points in three quarters in OKC’s blowout win.

The backup wing has dealt with inconsistent playing time, but he’s averaged the seventh-most minutes on the Thunder since the playoffs started. When push comes to shove, Wiggins always shows out.

“Trying to keep everybody engaged. Trying to keep everybody ready. Give everybody a chance,” Daigneault said. “Wiggins is a great example last night. He was huge for us last night. I didn’t go into the game knowing that was going to be the case.

“He didn’t play until the second quarter. If you cut down to seven, maybe you’re not playing him on a given night. It’s what we’ve done all year. It’s what we trust.”

It’s an interesting and unconventional approach toward the playoffs that has worked so far. Daigneault has stuck to his guns and continues to coach postseason games as he did in the Thunder’s 57-win campaign.

That doesn’t mean Daigneault is locked into this mindset though. If the situation calls for it, the Coach of the Year winner is not afraid to shake up his strategy in hopes of collecting wins.

“There’s no shame in adjusting to your opponent. Sometimes, if the cost outweighs the benefit, you adjust based on what your opponent is doing,” Daigneault said. “We don’t really care who dictates the terms. Sometimes we do it, sometimes the opponent does it. We’re trying to figure out what the best thing for the team is.”

The Thunder are off to a hot start in their core’s playoff debut. They haven’t lost a game in over a month. Daigneault deserves a significant chunk of the credit for OKC’s success as his outside-the-box thinking gives it an edge.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finishes 2nd in 2023-24 MVP award

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finishes 2nd in 2023-24 MVP award.

The NBA announced on Wednesday that Nikola Jokic had won the 2023-24 MVP award. This is the 29-year-old’s third time receiving the prestigious trophy.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in MVP voting. Luka Doncic finished third to round out the top-three vote-getters.

Jokic finished with 926 points. Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 640 points: 15 first-place votes (10 points each), 40 second-place votes (seven points), 40 third-place votes (five points), three fourth-place votes (three points) and one fifth-place vote (one point).

The full voting results can be viewed below:

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This shouldn’t be a shocker. It felt inevitable over the last month that Jokic was going to win the MVP award. The real intrigue was who would finish second.

Even though he didn’t win the award, Gilgeous-Alexander had a phenomenal season in which he entered the upper echelon of elite players. The 25-year-old has had back-to-back top-five MVP finishes.

In 75 games, he averaged 30.1 points on 53.5% shooting, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds. He led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the top seed in the Western Conference and a 17-win improvement from last season.

This is likely the first of many All-NBA caliber seasons by Gilgeous-Alexander. At 25 years old, he’s in his prime. The Thunder continue to have MVP-caliber players on their roster.

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Kyrie Irving details Lu Dort’s defense after Thunder’s Game 1 blowout win

Kyrie Irving details Lu Dort’s defense after Thunder’s Game 1 blowout win.

Fighting through screens all night, Lu Dort might as well have been glued to Luka Doncic.

The biggest matchup of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s second-round series against the Dallas Mavericks involves Doncic and Dort. It’s a one-on-one war between an MVP finalist and one of the best perimeter defenders.

Through one game, Dort won a battle. In the Thunder’s Game 1 blowout win, Doncic had his worst playoff game. He was limited to 19 points on 6-of-19 shooting and went 1-of-8 from 3.

The 25-year-old superstar struggled to create space from Dort. Several screen attempts proved wasteful for Dallas. While Doncic is simply too good to be held to under 20 points all series, Dort did exactly what the Thunder hoped by making Doncic earn his buckets with 19 points on 19 shots.

Doncic’s co-star Kyrie Irving, who had a quiet 20 points, went into detail about Dort’s rise to one of the more prominent on-ball defenders in the league.

“Lu’s been a great defender since he walked into this league; he’s got to be given his credit and respect,” Irving said. “I think he causes a lot of issues when he’s pressuring the ballhandler 94 feet for practically the whole game.

“That’s something that we have to be aware of, but he’s not the only good defender out there. I don’t think what makes him great is just him individually. I think it’s the team game that they play, and he does a great job of being the head of that.

“But for me and my teammates, we just have to continue to attack him and continue to play downhill in a way where we play off of two feet. … This Game 1 is done, we didn’t play as well as we would have liked. We failed on a lot of our coverages, and we didn’t come in with the attitude that was necessary to get this W. …

“I had too many turnovers tonight, especially in that first quarter, just trying to get my guy settled. So there are some things to look back on, but the defensive pressure is not going to stop. So we just got to adjust.”

Through five games, OKC’s defense has been stellar in the postseason. It has yet to allow 100 points by an opponent. This will be a challenge Doncic will have to overcome if the Mavericks hope to advance past this round.

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Jason Kidd impressed by what Sam Presti has built with the Thunder

Jason Kidd impressed by what Sam Presti has built with the Thunder.

Social media recently uncovered a gem: a 16-year-old Sam Presti vouching for the Boston Celtics to draft Jason Kidd in 1994.

Presti campaigned via the Boston Globe why the Celtics should draft Kidd. He mentioned his playmaking and basketball IQ as reasons they should add him to their roster.

The Celtics didn’t have a chance to prove Presti right or wrong. Kidd was taken with the No. 2 pick by the Dallas Mavericks and the Celtics settled for Eric Montross with the No. 9 selection.

Before the Thunder’s Game 1 win over the Mavericks, Kidd, who is now the Dallas head coach, agreed with Presti’s assessment from 30 years ago.

“He was right,” Kidd joked.

The 10-time All-Star enjoyed a successful career as one of the best point guards of his era. A second stint with the Mavericks as a player was rewarded with a championship in 2011.

Kidd hopes to bring Dallas another ring but as the head coach. In his third season, this might be his best shot yet to realize his ambition.

Kidd coaches arguably the best star duo in the league. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving had a monster postseason debut in their first-round win over the LA Clippers. Each averaged 25-plus points.

They’ll need to continue to do that against the Thunder, who Kidd has had his fair share of postseason battles as a former player. The Mavericks defeated OKC in the 2011 Western Conference finals en route to a championship. The next year, OKC avenged the loss by sweeping Dallas in the first round.

The one constant from those 2011 and 2012 Thunder squads and this season’s is Presti. He’s one of the longest-tenured GMs in the league and is widely considered one of the best in his business.

Kidd praised the Thunder’s general manager, saying he’s done an incredible job at cracking open another championship window with this second iteration of OKC.

“It’s amazing what he has built here,” Kidd said. “Not just this team, but the teams that have come before this. He has an eye for talent and has done it at a very high level.”

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Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should win the 2023-24 MVP award

Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should win the 2023-24 MVP award.

The NBA will announce its 2023-24 MVP winner on Wednesday and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of three finalists with a shot to win the prestigious award.

The other two finalists are Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. Reading the room, it appears Jokic is likely on his way to collecting his third career MVP award as he tries to lead the Denver Nuggets to back-to-back championships.

Here’s why that shouldn’t be the case.

Gilgeous-Alexander had a career season after he finished No. 5 in MVP votes last year. In 75 games, he averaged 30.1 points on 53.5% shooting, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds.

The 25-year-old led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the top seed and a 17-win improvement from last season.

Just like his squad, Gilgeous-Alexander was a constant drumbeat in the six-month campaign. He led the league in 30-plus point outings and never allowed OKC to lose more than three in a row.

Gilgeous-Alexander might’ve not enjoyed the highs Jokic and Doncic had in the season, but being a consistent threat is arguably a better season arc.

In an 82-game campaign, the consistency of scoring 30-plus points on center-esque levels of efficiency led to more team success this season than the other two had.

The Thunder smashed expectations as they graduated to title contenders this season. Meanwhile, the Nuggets had a so-so season and the Dallas Mavericks needed to tweak their roster to reach 50 wins.

Boiled down to it, reliability should be the main component of the MVP award.

Outside of the sun rising every morning, Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30 points on 50% shooting or better was one of the more reliable aspects of life over the last six months.

While the existence of voter fatigue shouldn’t factor into NBA awards, it’s hard to deny its impact. The human element of voter fatigue and biases should help Gilgeous-Alexander’s odds. After being one of the more underrated players in the league since 2018, the 25-year-old deserves his flowers.

Jokic has already won the award twice and has been a prominent face in the discussion for best player in the league for a few years. The 29-year-old has had his fair share of moments in the sun with two MVPs and a championship.

While Doncic hasn’t won the award yet, he’s been mentioned as one of the best players in the league since essentially his rookie season. His time will come, so not winning MVP this year shouldn’t sting as badly.

Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander has ascended into one of the best players in the league over the last two seasons. His development is the main reason why the Thunder’s rebuild only lasted a couple of years.

The Thunder have been a model example of how to properly conduct a rebuild by establishing a strong culture and developing homegrown talent. OKC is set up for another long contention window with this core thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander’s unexpected rise to superstardom.

That type of progression should be awarded with an MVP trophy for Gilgeous-Alexander.

He’ll surely have future campaigns similar to this season, but this might be the 25-year-old’s best shot at MVP. His case this year is as strong as it’ll likely ever be.

Averaging 30-plus points on 53% shooting and being a two-way threat for the top seed in a competitive Western Conference is about as textbook of an MVP winner as they’ll ever be.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s efficient scoring season shares elite company. He’s only the fourth guard in league history to average 30-plus points on 63% or better true-shooting percentage.

The precedent is there for him to win the MVP. One of those four seasons includes Stephen Curry’s MVP season in 2015-16, where he was the unanimous winner.

The Thunder were arguably the second-best team in the league behind the Boston Celtics this season. They finished top four in net rating, offensive rating and defensive rating. They had the second-best point differential.

That type of success — especially when it was unexpected — should be awarded by the league. They can do that by handing Gilgeous-Alexander a much-deserved MVP award.

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NBA Twitter reacts to OKC taking Game 1 vs. Dallas: ‘Stepback Shai doesn’t miss’

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to a 117-95 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals vs. the Mavericks. The Canadian star almost recorded a triple-double (29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists) while Chet Holmgren added 19 …

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to a 117-95 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals vs. the Mavericks. The Canadian star almost recorded a triple-double (29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists) while Chet Holmgren added 19 points and seven rebounds.

Kyrie Irving scored 20 points while Luka Doncic just shot 6 of 19 from the field for the Mavs.

Here’s how NBA Twitter reacted to OKC’s win over Dallas.

Josh Giddey campaigns for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP case

Josh Giddey campaigns for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP case.

The Oklahoma City Thunder were arguably the biggest surprise of the season. They jumped from finishing a win shy of the playoffs a year ago to claiming the first seed in the Western Conference.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s development into one of the best players in the league over the last two seasons is the largest reason. He’s had back-to-back seasons of top-five finishes in MVP voting.

This season, the 25-year-old was a much more active participant in the MVP conversation. He was named one of three finalists for the prestigious award along with Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s backcourt partner has had a front-row seat to his graduation to the league’s upper echelon.

Josh Giddey discussed the MVP candidate’s case and why Gilgeous-Alexander should win the award ahead of Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks.

“He understands how good he is. He can take over a game any night. He’s a very unselfish superstar,” Giddey said about Gilgeous-Alexander. “He could go out and have 40 every night if he wanted to. That’s the type of scorer he is. … Very deserving of the MVP award.”

The MVP winner will be announced on Wednesday, May 8. Odds are, Jokic will win the award for the third time in his career. That doesn’t mean Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t have a strong case though.

In 75 games, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.1 points on 53.5% shooting, 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists. It’s one of the most efficient 30-plus point-scoring seasons by a guard in league history.

Even if Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t win MVP, there’s no doubt he’s turned into one of the best players in the league. Considering his scoring profile, he’ll likely be in that conversation for several more years during his prime.

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Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama reacts to winning NBA Rookie of the Year

Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, becoming the sixth player in history to win the award unanimously.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama on Monday was named the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year, becoming the sixth player in history to win the award unanimously.

Wembanyama became the first player to win the award unanimously since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016. He received all 99 first-place votes from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. He is the third player from the Spurs to win, joining David Robinson (1990) and Tim Duncan (1998).

The Frenchman finished with 495 points in the final voting, topping the 295 Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren received. Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller finished in third place with 86 points.

“My goal was always to help my team as best as I could and get better as the year went on,” Wembanyama told Ernie Johnson on “NBA on TNT” on Monday. “I knew that in order to do this, I had to be individually good and dominant on the court. It was a huge thing for me and a big thing to get. It has always been really important, and I’m glad it’s finally official.”

Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals in 71 games. He led the league in blocked shots and registered the most 30-point games (11) by a rookie since Trae Young in the 2018-19 season.

The 7-footer is the first player in history to record at least 1,500 points, 700 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 blocks and 100 3-pointers in a season. He is the second rookie to lead the league in blocks (Manute Bol, 1986) and the 10th player to average 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Wembanyama, who is a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, finished 22nd in steals. He also ranked second in defensive box plus-minus (plus-3.3), fifth in defensive win shares (4.4) and eighth in rebounds. He also had the most games with at least five blocks (24).

He explained to Kenny Smith how he improved throughout the year.

The simple stats, but also the advanced stats — everything pretty much got better. On my side, what I made big efforts on, is the playmaking, the shot selection. After the minutes restrictions I’ve had, I had to get back in good shape to play more than 30-35 minutes. The cardio, I think I’ve made huge improvements on. I’ve never gotten so much better in such a few months, so I’m really glad.

He achieved numerous other accomplishments, including becoming the youngest player in history to register a 5×5 game and recording a triple-double with blocks. He also became the first rookie since Shaquille O’Neal in 1993 to record 40 points and 20 rebounds in a game.

Tabbed an “alien” by LeBron James because of his unique size and skill set, Wembanyama entered the season with tremendous expectations. He exceeded them in his first year with the Spurs and established himself as a franchise cornerstone for years to come.

He believes there is still much to improve on entering the offseason.

“There is plenty of stuff I plan on working on,” Wembanyama told O’Neal. “Physically, of course, the work is never going to be done. I’ve had my plan for months ready for all of my body. We’re going to keep discovering new ways to get better and work on my body. For basketball, there is a lot I want to work on and (head coach Gregg Popovich) Pop wants me to work on, so I’m excited.”

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Full injury report for Tuesday’s Mavericks vs. Thunder Game 1 matchup

Full injury report for Tuesday’s Mavericks vs. Thunder Game 1 matchup.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will face the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA playoffs second round on Tuesday. It’ll be OKC’s first game after a week’s break.

The Thunder enter the contest fully healthy. Not a single player was listed on their injury report.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks will be without Maxi Kleber (shoulder sprain) and Olivier-Maxence Prosper (ankle sprain). Luka Doncic (knee sprain) is probable.

A sweep over the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round afforded them the luxury of another extensive break between playoff series. It was a strong debut series for the trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks clinched their first-round series over the LA Clippers in Game 6 on Friday. Doncic and Kyrie Irving went supernova. Each averaged 25-plus points in the series.

Tipoff from Oklahoma City is 8:30 p.m. CT.

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Chet Holmgren finishes 2nd in 2023-24 Rookie of the Year

Chet Holmgren finishes 2nd in 2023-24 Rookie of the Year.

The NBA announced on Monday that Victor Wembanyama won the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year award. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren finished second in the voting.

Wembanyama totaled 495 points from 99 first-place votes (5 points each). Holmgren had 295 points from 98 second-place votes (3 points each) and one third-place vote (1 point each).

Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller finished third. The full voting results can be viewed below:

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This isn’t really a shocker. After a close race to start the season, Wembanyama took off with a strong finish. He had the chance to put up monster numbers on the San Antonio Spurs.

Meanwhile, Holmgren’s numbers didn’t flash as much due to being the third option on a title contender. He manned one of the best defenses in the league as an elite rim protector.

The 22-year-old is instead focused on a deep playoff run. The Thunder advanced to the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs with a sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Even though Wembanyama won the award, the two 7-foot centers will likely be linked for the rest of their careers due to their similarities and draft position.

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