Latest On Trail Blazers’ Head Coaching Search
Jerry Stackhouse will be interviewing with the Trail Blazers for their head coaching vacancy this weekend, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
An NBA player for 18 seasons from 1995-2013, Stackhouse transitioned into coaching following his retirement. He has been an assistant for the Raptors (2015-16), Grizzlies (2018-19), and Warriors (2024-26) and also had head coaching stints with the Raptors 905 in the G League (2016-18) and Vanderbilt University (2019-24).
Reporting last week indicated that Stackhouse’s contract with Golden State had expired and that he wouldn’t be returning to the team, as he was “actively” seeking a head coaching position. He has also been connected to the coaching vacancy in Chicago.
Meanwhile, Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime (Twitter link) hears from league sources that the Blazers have been impressed by Jazz assistant Mike Williams, who is among the candidates the team is still considering.
Formerly a Wizards player development coach, Williams became the head coach of the Capital City Go-Go in the G League at age 25 and served in that role from 2021-23 before being hired by the Jazz in 2023 as an assistant under Will Hardy.
Finally, Fischer also reports within the latest Substack article for the Stein Line that Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook has advanced to the next stage of Portland’s coaching search as well.
Lashbrook worked for the Sixers from 2014-23, serving in player development roles during his last few years in Philadelphia. He has been on the Celtics’ staff for the past three years and was the head coach of the team’s G League affiliate in Maine during the 2024/25 season.
There has been a flurry of updates on Portland’s head coaching search in the past 24 hours, with Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, and Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter all identified on Thursday as finalists for the job.
Today’s reports adding several new names to the mix suggest that “finalists” may be a loose term — the team reportedly wanted to look at upwards of 30 candidates during the initial stages of its search, so while the field may have narrowed since then, it sounds like there are still several candidates receiving consideration.
According to Fischer and Marc Stein, the Blazers’ search has been difficult for insiders to keep track of, since some candidates have spoken to general manager Joe Cronin, some have spoken directly to team owner Tom Dundon, and have some have talked to both.
Here are some additional notes from Stein on the Blazers’ search:
- Van Gundy’s salary as a Clippers assistant is believed to be in the neighborhood of $3MM per year, so there’s “great curiosity” about what sort of salary Dundon would be willing to offer him, Stein writes, amid rumors that the new Blazers owner doesn’t want to spend big on his new head coach.
- Celtics assistant D.J. MacLeay, Heat consultant Noah Laroche, and Brisbane Bullets coach and president Will Weaver (a former NBA assistant) are among the other names that have been connected to the Blazers’ head coaching vacancy in recent days, according to Stein.
- One league source tells Stein that Dundon is seeking a candidate who will “coach players hard.”
We’re tracking all of this offseason’s NBA head coaching searches right here.
Lakers, Warriors Long Shots In Giannis Sweepstakes?
The Lakers and Warriors are expected to be among the teams talking to the Bucks about a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade in the coming weeks, but neither Pacific team looks like the frontrunner to land the two-time MVP, according to reports from ESPN.
Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show this week (YouTube link), ESPN’s Shams Charania suggested that the Lakers aren’t expected to involve Austin Reaves (via potential sign-and-trade) in their offer for Antetokounmpo. Beyond Reaves, the team isn’t exactly loaded with attractive young talent, and the Stepien rule prevents Los Angeles from offering more than three first-round picks (2026, 2031, and 2033).
“The Lakers expressed interest in Giannis at the deadline,” Charania said. “Right now, what they’ll be able to offer is three first-round picks and cap space (to) essentially absorb Giannis’ contract.
“Now, if you’re the Bucks, are you just going to trade Giannis to the Lakers for cap space (and) three first-round picks? My sense is they’re going to get better in the marketplace than that. I think there’s a bigger appetite than that. And so, time will tell. We’ll know in the next six weeks.”
The Warriors pursued Antetokounmpo more seriously than the Lakers did at February’s deadline, but the Bucks turned them down at the time and Golden State isn’t really in position to significantly improve its offer this spring.
The Warriors could put together a package that includes up to four first-round picks (likely 2026, 2028, 2030 between 1-20, and either 2032 or 2033), plus guard Brandin Podziemski. Some combination of Moses Moody, Jimmy Butler, and/or Draymond Green could also factor into Golden State’s offer, but Moody and Butler are recovering from major injuries and won’t be healthy to open the 2026/27 season, while Green has a decision to make on a player option.
“This is just my read on it,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater said during a radio appearance on 95.7 The Game (Twitter video link; hat tip to RealGM). “I think (the Warriors are) not first in line, not second or third in line, really, at this point as far as packages that appeal most to Milwaukee. We know by deadline time Miami’s (offer) was the one that the Bucks seemed to be contemplating.”
Although Slater believes the Warriors will “cautiously enter the waters” when it comes to big-game hunting for star-level veterans like Antetokounmpo this summer, he said he wouldn’t be surprised if they simply use the 11th overall pick to select a player in next month’s draft, pointing out that the team could probably find a prospect at that spot who could immediately contribute and still has long-term upside (Twitter video link).
Slater added that he also expects the Warriors to prioritize “mid-prime” players as they seek roster upgrades this offseason, observing that they lost one player who fit that bill when they sent Andrew Wiggins to Miami at the 2025 deadline.
“You don’t want to be loaded with 19-year-olds and 37-year-olds,” he said.
2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Phoenix Suns
After finishing with a disappointing 36-46 record in 2024/25 despite having the most expensive payroll in the NBA, the Suns quickly fired head coach Mike Budenholzer, who was given a five-year, $50MM+ contract two years ago.
Budenholzer was hired one day after the team fired Frank Vogel, who led the Suns to a playoff berth after going 49-33 in his lone season (2023/24). Phoenix was swept in the first round by Minnesota though, and Vogel was dismissed 11 months after reportedly signing a five-year, $31MM deal.
Vogel was hired to replace Monty Williams, whom new owner Mat Ishbia wanted out after the Suns went 45-37 and were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs in 2022/23. That came a year after the top-seeded Suns infamously blew a 3-2 lead against the Mavericks in the second round of the 2022 postseason.
Looking for a new head coach every offseason while paying each of your recently fired coaches long-term money is never a recipe for success, so hiring the right candidate was critical for the Suns in 2025. They went with a first-time head coach in Jordan Ott, and the move paid off -- he did an admirable job leading a scrappy roster that finished with the league's ninth-ranked defense.
The main reason the roster looked different -- and younger -- this season is because the Suns finally pulled the plug on the ill-fated Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal experiments, both of which were completely disastrous for the long-term future of the team. Phoenix didn't get a clean break from Beal's contract either. We'll circle back to that shortly.
Out went veterans like Durant, Beal, Tyus Jones, Jusuf Nurkic, Mason Plumlee, Damion Lee and Monte Morris, and in came Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, Jordan Goodwin and Mark Williams.
The Suns exceeded expectations in 2025/26, going 45-37 and entering the play-in tournament as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. Phoenix lost its first play-in game to Portland, but won its second against Golden State and advanced to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.
Phoenix was overmatched in the first-round series against Oklahoma City and was swept by the defending champions in four games. That series laid bare the limitations of the current roster against a top contender.
There were certainly positive developments in '25/26, starting with Ott and the buy-in he got from a hard-playing roster that arguably punched above its weight in the regular season. Impending free agent Collin Gillespie had a breakout season; Goodwin was another bargain in his second stint with the team; Brooks brought an edge and toughness to the group that was sorely lacking; Fleming (and to a lesser extent Maluach) showed flashes near the end of the season; and Oso Ighodaro took positive strides in year two. All of those factors made Phoenix much more fun to watch than the most recent iterations of the team.
It's odd that the Suns were something of a plucky underdog in '25/26, because they were the total opposite the previous few seasons, with a bloated payroll banked by an owner so desperate to win immediately that he neglected the club's long-term outlook. Still, while the roster, coach, narrative, and (lower) expectations might have been different, Phoenix's modest success this season didn't really move the team any closer to title contention.
The Suns' Offseason Plans
If you only look at their active player salaries for next season, it would appear as though the Suns would be in a decent spot to try to re-sign all of their own free agents -- most notably Gillespie, Goodwin and Williams -- on top of making other upgrades. It's not a specific salary that will limit Phoenix's financial flexibility this offseason though -- it's the $23.2MM in dead money the team is carrying on its books, most of which came from using the stretch provision on Beal's contract after he agreed to give up some of the money he was owed in a buyout last summer.
Knicks Notes: Hart, Brunson, Bridges, Robinson, Alvarado
Knicks forward Josh Hart was on the bench for much of the fourth quarter and overtime in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday as the team completed a historic 22-point comeback with Landry Shamet taking his place on the floor. The Knicks were outscored by 23 points when Hart was on the court in Game 1, and he made just 1-of-5 three-point tries.
It initially looked like Thursday might be another rough night for Hart, who missed his first three outside shots in the Game 2 as the Cavaliers‘ defense let him have open looks. But by the end of the night, Hart had emerged as the Knicks’ leading scorer and most effective all-around player, writes Fiifi Frimpong of The New York Daily News (subscription required). He racked up 26 points, seven assists, and a pair of steals while knocking down 5-of-11 total three-pointers in the 109-93 victory.
“Those first three, they felt good,” Hart said after the game. “Kind of frustrated with it. I’ve been putting in the reps with (assistant coaches Kwadzo Ahelegbe) and Peter Patton and I was frustrated at first. I’m just like, ‘It is not translating right now.’ And then I knew I had to just keep shooting and if I did that, I’ll be good.”
Speaking to reporters, head coach Mike Brown said he never considered going away from Hart as he struggled early in Game 2. As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic relays, Brown explained that the versatile forward is “so impactful as a connector” that he can have an impact on winning even when his shot isn’t falling.
“It’s easy for me to say because I have the utmost confidence in the world in him,” Brown said, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required). “He’s a gamer. When you have guys who are gamers, they do stuff that people don’t think they can do. And he knows the work he puts in. We know the work he puts in. His confidence is not going to waver. He’s going to put confidence in himself to take the next one and make the next one.”
Here’s more on the Knicks, who will head to Cleveland with a 2-0 lead in the Eastern finals:
- After playing hero in Game 1 by scoring 16 fourth-quarter points, Jalen Brunson had the ball forced out of hands on Thursday by the Cavaliers, who were determined not to let the star point guard beat them in Game 2, notes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Brunson had no problem adjusting, setting a new career playoff high by handing out 14 assists. “It just shows that he plays the right way,” teammate Mikal Bridges said. “If you’re not going to send a double-team, I think it’s an advantage for him. If you send a double-team, he’s going to read and react and find the open guy. Ever since I’ve known him, he plays the right way. Kudos to him, how he works, and his understanding of the game. If you’re going to come (double-team him), he’s going to make you pay and that’s what makes him great.”
- Speaking of Bridges, he continues to be everything the Knicks hoped for when they gave up five first-round picks to acquire him and signed him to a $150MM extension, says Howie Kussoy of The New York Post. Bridges has been the Knicks’ primary defender on James Harden and has scored 37 points on 16-of-23 shooting (69.6%) through the first two games of the series. “He’s an amazing player,” Knicks forward OG Anunoby said. “He’s been his whole career. I’m not surprised at all. This is Mikal. He’s a great player.”
- While it hasn’t prevented the Knicks from building a 2-0 lead in the series, Mitchell Robinson‘s poor free throw shooting remains a concern for the team, as Jared Schwartz of The New York Post observes. After making 2-of-8 shots from the line in Game 1, Robinson missed all four of his attempts in Game 2, resulting in Brown playing him just three minutes in the second half.
- Trade deadline acquisition Jose Alvarado has averaged just 7.5 minutes per night through the first two games vs. Cleveland, but he’s having a real impact on the team even when he’s not on the court, according to the Knicks’ head coach. “We actually pointed it out to our group in practice,” Brown said on Thursday, per Schwartz. “You watch the film, he’s uplifting the entire team when he’s on the bench. He’s always talking in a positive way. He’s showing our young guys that you can impact the game if you’re present, because Jose’s always present. You’re using your voice and your energy, guys feel that on the floor. Jose’s been phenomenal.”
Mavericks Notes: Kidd, Sweeney, Coaching Search, Barlowe
On Tuesday, the Mavericks announced that the team and head coach Jason Kidd had mutually agreed to part ways. On Thursday morning, Kidd issued a statement thanking the organization with which he spent the last five seasons (Twitter link).
“I want to sincerely thank the Mavericks organization, the players, coaches, staff, front office, ownership, and every employee behind the scenes who put their heart into this team every single day. It has been an honor to work alongside so many incredible people,” he said. “To the players, thank you for your trust, your commitment, and the battles we went through together. I am proud of what we built, the relationships formed, and the way you competed night in and night out.”
He finished by thanking the fan base and the city of Dallas.
The Hall of Fame point guard finished his time in Dallas with a 205-205 record, falling to .500 overall during the last two seasons as the Mavs were beset injuries as well as the trade of Luka Doncic. Under Kidd, the team advanced to the 2024 NBA Finals as well as the 2022 Western Conference Finals.
We have more notes from the Mavs:
- Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney is expected to draw significant interest from the Mavs as they seek Kidd’s successor, per ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel (Twitter link). Sweeney, long considered a head coaching candidate, has been an assistant in the league since 2013 and spent four years in Dallas before being hired by San Antonio in 2025. He has also been connected to the coaching searches in Chicago and Orlando this spring.
- New Mavs president Masai Ujiri has said that he plans to cast a wide net as the team seeks a new head coach. One possible target is Duke coach Jon Scheyer — Siegel reports that Dallas is expected to reach out to Scheyer, though he’s considered to be committed to his current position with the Blue Devils. Jared Dudley (Nuggets), Micah Nori (Timberwolves), Frank Vogel (Mavericks), and current coaching free agents like Tom Thibodeau and Donovan are some other potential candidates to keep an eye on for the Mavs, Mike Curtis speculates for the Dallas Morning News.
- As part of the organizational shake-up that comes with new leadership, Rafael Barlowe is no longer with the team after nearly a year of serving as an international scout for the team, Barlowe confirmed on Twitter. Prior to his time in Dallas, Barlowe scouted the draft for the website NBABigBoard.com.
Micah Nori Among Finalists For Blazers’ Coaching Job
The Trail Blazers‘ coaching search appears to be progressing toward a resolution.
On the heels of reports that interim head coach Tiago Splitter and lead Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy are considered finalists for the job, a third name has been added to the mix, with Marc Stein of The Stein Line stating that Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori is another finalist (Twitter link).
The Blazers’ interest in the Wolves’ assistant was already known. However, there have been rumors that Portland is looking at upwards of 20 or 30 candidates, so it was unclear until now whether Nori was viewed as a serious contender for the position.
Nori has been an assistant coach since 2009, when he was hired by Toronto. After a four-year stint with the Raptors from 2009-13, he also spent time as an assistant with the Kings (2013-15), Nuggets (2015-18), and Pistons (2018-21).
Nori, Chris Finch’s lead assistant in Minnesota, has been with the Wolves since 2021 and has become an increasingly popular name in coaching searches over recent years. This spring, he has been linked to the Bulls’ open position and there has been speculation he might become a candidate for the vacancy in Dallas as well.
Northwest Notes: Boozer, Lillard, Blazers Decisions, Hartenstein
Projected top-three draft pick Cameron Boozer has clear familial ties to the Jazz, who hold the second pick in the 2026 draft. His father, Carlos Boozer, spent six seasons in Utah, including his two All-Star years, and works with the team to this day in their scouting department.
Cameron was born in Salt Lake City, though he moved away before his fourth birthday, and he says that his conversations with his dad about following in his footsteps generally had more to do with Chicago than his hometown, Kevin Reynolds writes for the Salt Lake Tribune.
When it comes to the young power forward’s potential on-court fit with Utah, though, there are clear questions, as the Jazz already boast one of the larger frontcourts in the league, led by Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler. Boozer could fit in nicely as a big off the bench who can play alongside any of those other big men and focus on his play-making, which was a strength in college.
While Boozer views himself as the top talent in the draft, he said his focus is on getting to the place that will get the most out of him.
“Whether it is one, two, three or four, I want the best fit,” Boozer said. “I mean, it would be nice to play for a city that my dad played for. Obviously, Chicago (picking fourth overall) is another great city.”
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- Damian Lillard‘s first season back with the Trail Blazers consisted of a three-point contest championship and a lot of mentoring from the bench. Next season, he is expected to return to the court, but not everyone is clear on what that will look like. “I don’t understand what he brings to the table, especially with [Jrue Holiday] and [Scoot Henderson] already on the roster,” one anonymous scout told Joe Freeman of Oregon Live. “You could say he brings shooting. Well, yeah, but how did he get his shots? With the ball in his hands. It didn’t work in Milwaukee. If he’s dominating the ball, is [Shaedon Sharpe] developing? Is Scoot developing?” Lillard, for his part, says that his time watching from the bench helped him understand exactly those questions: “I got an opportunity to learn my teammates. I’m going to be playing with these guys, and just seeing what might set them off, seeing what they’re doing when they play well, seeing where they might struggle, seeing where our team struggles, ways that I think we could improve.“
- The Trail Blazers have plenty of roster decisions to make this summer, starting with what to do with Henderson. Unless the former third overall pick is included in a deal for a star player, it would behoove the team to try to work out a reasonable contract extension with him, Sean Highkin writes in a player movement prediction article for the Rose Garden Report (subscriber link), citing Sharpe’s four-year, $90MM extension from last summer as a reasonable starting place for Henderson. Vit Krejci and Sidy Cissoko are strong candidates to stick around, while players like Robert Williams III and Matisse Thybulle are worth hanging onto but could also be more valued by other teams.
- Isaiah Hartenstein only played 12 minutes in the Thunder‘s Game 1 loss to the Spurs. Prior to Game 2, coach Mark Daigneault pulled the German big man aside and told him that he “didn’t feel great” about giving him so few minutes, Jenni Carlson writes for The Oklahoman. Hartenstein was unbothered, saying he’d do whatever was needed. In Game 2, what was needed was to take the lion’s share of minutes against Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. “The other night, [Wemby] just had way too much of the restricted (area), but if you zoom out, they turned the ball over a ton, we gave up 101 points in regulation,” Daigneault said. “The quality of shots were what we would want, other than his stuff at the rim.“
- Putting wings on Wembanyama in Game 1 created a shot diet in the paint that the Thunder coach felt was too sustainable, which is why he turned to Hartenstein to add physicality and size as a rim protector. In addition to helping hold the French superstar to just four rim attempts (compared to 17 in Game 1), Hartenstein added eight offensive rebounds and made sure Wembanyama felt him every time down the floor. “I thought he just did a good job of being physical, making him work all game,” Alex Caruso said. “Which ended up being beneficial for him on the glass late in the game. He cleaned that up offensively and defensively for us.”
Tiago Splitter A Finalist For Blazers’ Coaching Job
Despite initial reports indicating that interim head coach Tiago Splitter was unlikely to be retained by the Trail Blazers as they mount a comprehensive search for their head coach of the future, it appears the Brazilian incumbent has a genuine shot at the job. After Jake Fischer reported on Tuesday that Splitter was still a candidate for the position, Marc Stein of The Stein Line says (via Twitter) that he’s considered a finalist.
Splitter took over unexpectedly just one game into the season after Chauncey Billups was arrested as part of a federal probe into illegal gambling operations. He led Portland to a 42-39 finish, achieving both the team’s best regular season record and first playoff berth since the 2020/21 season.
Despite missing Damian Lillard for the entire season and expected starting point guard Scoot Henderson for the first 52 games of the year, the Blazers found success as a defensive-minded group built around first-time All-Star Deni Avdija‘s consistent rim pressure and play-making.
The Bulls have been rumored to have interest in interviewing Splitter for their head coach opening, but there was an expectation that they might be denied permission to speak to him if the Blazers are still seriously him for their own vacancy.
It was reported earlier that the team has also reached out to the Clippers for permission to interview Jeff Van Gundy, who is considered another finalist for the job.
Trail Blazers Request Permission To Interview Jeff Van Gundy
As the Trail Blazers continue their search for a new head coach, one notable candidate is reportedly receiving serious consideration. The Blazers have requested permission from the Clippers to interview assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, who reports (via Twitter) that Van Gundy has emerged as a finalist for the job.
Van Gundy has been the lead assistant with the Clippers for the past two seasons and has extensive head coaching experience, initially with the Knicks (1995-2001) and then the Rockets (2003-07). He compiled a 430-318 record (.575) with those two teams and made a trip to the 1999 NBA Finals with the Knicks. Only five current coaches have more career playoff wins than Van Gundy: Erik Spoelstra, Steve Kerr, Rick Carlisle, Mike Brown, and Tyronn Lue.
Prior to joining the Clippers, Van Gundy spent 16 years as a broadcaster with ESPN, often alongside Mark Jackson, whom Van Gundy coached as an assistant with the Knicks and in Jackson’s final season with the Rockets.
While Tiago Splitter served as the team’s interim head coach following the arrest of Chauncey Billups as part of a federal investigation into illegal gambling, reports have indicated that new owner Tom Dundon‘s preference was to go in a different, possibly cheaper, direction.
Timberwolves’ assistant Micah Nori is one of several coaches who have also been identified as potential candidates for the position.
Thunder Notes: Caruso, Gilgeous-Alexander, McCain, Accountability
The Thunder boast a two-time MVP guard, an All-Star big man, and an All-NBA wing, but through two games of the Western Conference Finals, 32-year-old backup guard Alex Caruso has been the key to unlocking the team’s potential on both ends of the court, Kelly Iko writes for Yahoo Sports.
A year after showing his versatility by defending Nikola Jokic in the playoffs, Caruso has been tasked, at times, with guarding Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. Even more importantly, he has shown no fear in attacking the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year on offense, even as some of his teammates shied away from the large barrier Wembanyama represents.
“He’s got an unbelievable focus and is a monster competitor,” said coach Mark Daigneault said of Caruso. “It seems like the bigger the moment, the bigger the game, the more he wants to compete in it. And he’ll fail and not blink, and he’ll be aggressive in the next possession, next game and he was huge again tonight. His minutes were massive for us.”
With Jalen Williams limited by injuries and Ajay Mitchell and Chet Holmgren working themselves into a rhythm, Caruso has stepped up offensively. Through two games, he is the series’ third-leading scorer behind the two teams’ respective MVP finalists, averaging 24.0 points per contest while hitting 11 of his 18 threes.
Caruso’s ability to guard up in the lineup also has downstream effects on the Thunder’s offense, as they are able to play more guards alongside him, thereby injecting much-needed shooting and ball-handling as the team searches for creases in San Antonio’s imposing defense.
“His leadership is over the roof, honestly, especially on the [defensive] end of the floor,” Luguentz Dort said. “He communicates a lot. He’s really smart as a player and watches a lot of basketball as well. So he knows a lot of plays and the tricks we need to get stops defensively. Able to read the game well and he’s been amazing.”
Whether he can keep up the hot shooting remains to be seen, but with Williams being listed as day-to-day after leaving Game 2 early with a hamstring injury and Mitchell also suffering an injury scare, Caruso’s responsibilities are unlikely to decrease as the series progresses.
We have more from the Thunder:
- After an uncharacteristically quiet performance in the Game 1 loss, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put together the kind of MVP performance fans have come to expect from him in Game 2, Joel Lorenzi writes for The Athletic. “I guess I just have sucked when I get too long of a break,” he said. “I don’t think it’s anything other than that. I don’t know. I guess I gotta do a better job with my breaks, especially during the playoffs.” Instead of playing into the Spurs’ coverages, Gilgeous-Alexander found ways to get to his spots and stopped letting Stephon Castle‘s rugged defense get to him. “We just had no choice but to play to our strengths,” he said, “or else.”
- If you just looked at the efficiency, it would be easy to miss Jared McCain‘s impact on Game 2, Lorenzi writes. Although McCain made just 4-of-14 shots from the floor, his energy and hustle were clearly infectious as he played his way to 12 points, six rebounds, and two steals in 26 minutes. This is nothing unusual for a player who has quickly ingratiated himself with his Thunder teammates due to his outsized personality, Marc J. Spears writes for Andscape. “The first week or two that he was here felt like he had been here the whole season,” Dort said of McCain. “That is the type of guy he is. That is the type of locker room we have. Really funny and really loud, and he blended in with everyone really quick.” It’s not just about his off-court personality, though. “That translates to his game as well,” Caruso added. “He is constantly moving on offense, which is manipulating the defense. He’s starting to pick up some of our other principles. He picked up a big offensive rebound tonight.”
- The Thunder have built a juggernaut based on the principles of precision, attention to detail, and accountability, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. On a roster as loaded with NBA-level talent as Oklahoma City’s, players have had to find roles they can thrive in, even if that feels like a sacrifice. Cason Wallace is a good example of that trait: there are 20 players from the 2023 draft class that are averaging more points per game than the former 10th overall pick, but those guys aren’t playing critical minutes in the Western Conference finals, as he is. Even when Wallace isn’t on the floor, though, he knows what is expected of him. “Honestly, you just go out there and be who you are,” the defensive-minded point guard said. “If it’s your night then, you know, it’s your night, and we’re all gonna be excited, and we’re all gonna put our best foot forward. But when it’s somebody else’s night, we also understand that and we cheer them on.”
- While that sounds good in theory, Daigneault and the players know that it’s one thing for players to talk about accountability, but quite another to buy into it. “There’s a collective understanding of where the bar is,” Holmgren said, per Woike. “And it’s human nature is to be imperfect. Nobody’s gonna be perfect. I might shoot a shot where it’s ‘S–t, I ain’t shot one in a while.’ Human nature is ‘OK, let me get one up’ … But there’s an understanding that there’s human nature, that nobody’s gonna be perfect. But there’s also an understanding if somebody sees you drifting, hey, we’re gonna pull you back in.”