The Thunder were able to fast-track their timeline for contention by establishing a firm culture under head coach Mark Daigneault that focused on skill development and small details, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes.
“I think that’s why we’ve been able to accelerate our development,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “All those little things that go into winning, they mean a lot to us because of our competitiveness and what our common goal is as a group.”
Oklahoma City saw success last season but was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, falling short of the Western Conference Finals. Instead of sending out their assets for another star or big name, the Thunder targeted role players in Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso who could help push their core to the top of the league.
“They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves,” Daigneault said. “I think that’s one of the things that [Thunder general manager Sam Presti]’s nailed in this process. The types of people that we’ve brought in the door, regardless of whether they’re still here or they’re not, by and large, have been committed professionals that are ambitious, but they’re also willing to complete the team.”
We have more from the Thunder:
- After emerging as a rookie contributor on a contending team last season, Cason Wallace began this season in a slump, averaging 6.5 points on 41.8% shooting through his first 33 games. But as Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman writes, it looks like Wallace is out of his funk after averaging 13.2 points on 58.7% shooting in his last five outings. It’s obviously a small sample, but Wallace’s mentality helped break him out of the dry spell. “Just being a hooper,” Wallace said. “Knowing that you’re gonna have shooting slumps. And I had mine early. I had one last year, just wasn’t as loud as this. Just sticking with it, knowing it would come back.“
- Jalen Williams has a solid case to make the All-Star Game according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, which would make him one of two players from the 2022 class to do so so far (joining Paolo Banchero). Entering Thursday, Williams held averages 20.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game for the contending Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander believes Williams is worthy of the honor. “For our team to be as good as we’ve been, obviously coming up on the All-Star Game, I think it’d only be right for him to be an All-Star,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You don’t have this record because of one All-Star. You don’t have this record because of one good player.”
- Branden Carlson got his first shot at extended minutes in a big matchup against the Cavaliers on Thursday, Lorenzi writes. He scored 11 points in 17 minutes off the bench, playing in the first quarter. After going undrafted in 2024, Carlson signed a two-way contract with the Raptors, but was waived before the season began. The big man joined the Thunder on a non-guaranteed contract, was cut again, and was brought back last week on a 10-day deal. Although he’s only under contract for 10 days, Oklahoma City relied on Carlson with their frontcourt depth depleted as a result of injuries to Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren.
The Thunder did their rebuild correctly, which can’t be said for a lot of rebuilding teams. And they didn’t just get the high picks and call it a day. They hired a good coach, held the young players accountable even when they were losing, and had a good structure in place. Too many rebuilding teams are content to lose games and throw lots of minutes at their young players without any sense of purpose or cohesion, as if those rebuilding years hold no value beyond amassing high draft picks. The little things learned then pay off down the line.
To put it simply, when you tank, ensure you get the picks right.
Accumulate enough right picks, get the right coach in place, results should be forthcoming.
OKC is bearing fruit the past few seasons, while ORL, HOU, DET, SAS, etc are on similar paths.
Take a bow Presti.
Tonight’s bear-down of the Cavs by OKC may have been the most significant game of any in the NBA this season. OKC led by 26 at the half, and 38 after 3. This loss will stick with CLE, which failed every test.
Nationally televised, the two leading teams at the halfway point, with OKC missing both Hartenstein and Holmgren. CLE was at full strength.
OKC took the Cavs’ soul. SGA did whatever he wanted, Donovan Michell shrunk in the moment (again), and the Cavs bigs, Mobley and Allen, were too soft to impose themselves on OKC’s undersized lineup.
If these teams meet again, OKC will also have Holmgren and Hartenstein. And a big psychological advantage.
IDK if Mitchell shrunk in the moment. He’s came up big in important games before against great defenders like Holiday and so forth but Dort seems to have his number. Mitchell relies on his strength to carry through on contact but Dort is like cinder block. You can’t move the guy.
Taco , agreed Dort gives Mitchell problems. My point is that if Mitchell is that superstar a team must have to win a Chip, then nobody should be able to shut him down so well as Dort and the Thunder have the last 2 games. That doesn’t happen to Steph or Luka or SGA or Jokic.
I thought Mitchell might finally break through this year, but the last 2 games suggest otherwise.
Talk about statements. Just like when Cavs won. Then Thunder took it out on Knicks. Following gm at MSG with a total beat down. Thunder were ready for Cavs. It was over at halftime. Cavs starters played 23 mins or less. DM played 21 mins with 8 pts.
Thunder took 105 shots to Cavs 90. Thunder took more threes than twos. This was payback.
Cavs will remember……. Next gm is at the Finals.
When teams are shooting well today. Games can be over early. In the playoffs you have to beat same team 4 times. Good teams can bounce back.
Most impressive to me. No Chet and no IHart.
Nice win …….
Al, keep in mind that Cavs won at home in a squeaker. Hardly a squeaker. And OKC was undermanned. OKC with Hartenstein and Chet make this defense way too tough Cleveland. Cavs also know that SGA will cook them.
We’ll see if Cavs can make the Finals, as you say. I thought so 10 days ago. But I’ve been reminded about how soft Mobley and Allen are, and that’s not going to change. Boston beats the Cavs with the 3 pointer and toughness.
SHA is soaring.
I can’t really say much about the Thunder matchup (though calling Allen and Mobley soft based on one game is recency bias and matchup ignorance), but glazing the Celtics when they’ve spent the past month playing .500 ball while the Cavs have continued to be elite is nonsense. Slow your roll. The Celtics don’t look like the same team as last year at all. Much weaker chemistry and lacking consistency on both ends. Still a great team, but they’re not a juggernaut this year.
Mobley and Allen played 18 and 16 minutes, respectively. The Cavs basically just folded the game. Not a single player had more than 24 minutes played. Atkinson put in the bench when they went down early.
Never seen a team get away with grabbing wrists and arms as much as the Thunder get away with every night. If SGA is slightly touched he snaps his head back like hes been shot and goes to free throw line.