Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault pointed out how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s subtle changes demonstrate that the Thunder aren’t like most young playoff contenders.
“Think about it, if you’re a player, and you could easily score 40 points?” Daigneault remarked. “He could decide, ‘I’m going to score 40 tonight.'”
Although Gilgeous-Alexander, an All-Star guard who typically averages 30.4 points per game, could focus solely on personal stats and accolades, he has opted to take fewer shots and draw fewer fouls this season, leading to a slight decrease in his scoring.
However, by stepping back, the 25-year-old Canadian has allowed his teammates to shine, which has accelerated the team’s rebuilding process.
After winning 40 games last year and making it to the Play-In Tournament, and only winning 24 games two years ago, Oklahoma City now has 55 victories and is contending for the top spot in the Western Conference.
Daigneault emphasized that Gilgeous-Alexander’s maturity has been a driving force for the franchise’s progress.
“When you observe the best teams and players, you’ll notice a level of self-restraint that creates opportunities for the rest of the team to perform with confidence,” Daigneault explained. “He’s done an excellent job of demonstrating that.”
Gilgeous-Alexander has been able to take a step back without OKC falling behind because Thunder general manager Sam Presti has surrounded him with exceptional young talent.
During the stretch from the beginning of the 2021-22 season to early this season, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Josh Giddey have collectively won eight out of 12 Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards.
So Gilgeous-Alexander, who was selected to the first-team All-NBA last year, doesn’t need to push too hard. This season, he has achieved career highs in field goal percentage (.539) and assists (6.2 per game).
“He’s in the running for MVP,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich remarked. “There’s nothing else to say about it. When you have that, it’s your job to build around it. And they’ve done it. They certainly deserve a lot of credit.”
Holmgren was chosen as the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, but he missed last season due to a foot injury. As a rookie this season, he has seamlessly integrated, averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game.
Williams, who was a close second for Rookie of the Year last season when Holmgren was sidelined, averages 19.3 points per game and shoots 53.9% from the field.
Giddey, a member of the All-Rookie second team after being selected as the sixth pick in 2021, averages 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. He particularly excelled in March, averaging 16.3 points on 57% shooting, along with 7.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.
The fifth starter, Lu Dort, has gone from being undrafted in 2019 to becoming one of the top defensive guards in the league. Additionally, he is shooting a career-best 39.5% from 3-point range.
“The organization has done an incredible job,” Popovich praised. “Sam Presti is extraordinary, and the work he does is outstanding. The entire coaching staff is dedicated, well-organized, holds people accountable, and is innovative. The players are talented, but that’s not sufficient. They are disciplined.”
Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown, whose team made significant progress last season, acknowledged that the Thunder are onto something. “When you follow the right process, you’ll find players who enjoy not just playing together but playing for each other,” he said.
“And you can see from the outside that this group truly supports each other on offense and defense, and they believe in their abilities and place, which is significant.”
Gilgeous-Alexander has also improved defensively, leading the league with 2.1 steals per game. Even though this team hasn’t won a playoff series together, he thinks the Thunder won’t back down.
“Every team wants it equally,” he said. “The intensity and focus might be higher, but it’s still basketball, and the same strategies apply.” On Tuesday, the Thunder’s comeback from a 20-point deficit against the Kings showed another quality that could help them in the playoffs – resilience.
“We’ve been in this situation a lot,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We know what it takes. It’s like that muscle is trained. Nobody wants to be down by that much, but it’s good to have guys who understand how to bounce back, and how to handle tough times. And I think we have a team that does.”
Oklahoma City had the third-youngest roster in the league on opening night, with an average age of 24 years and 43 days. But that doesn’t mean they have to be reckless.
“If we set ourselves to the standard of a young team, when do we change that?” Daigneault asked. “We’ve worked on building a strong foundation that can work for any team, regardless of age or stage, and now we can build on that.”
