Dallas Mavericks ahead Derrick Jones Jr. (55) walks away after Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder’s Luguentz Dort (5) was issued a foul, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) seems to be on within the first half of Sport 6 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff collection Saturday, Could 18, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Picture/Tony Gutierrez)
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder may simply be scratching the floor of their potential.
Oklahoma Metropolis’s season ended Saturday evening with a loss to Dallas within the second spherical of the Western Convention playoffs. However the truth that the Thunder even received that far ought to concern the remainder of the league. After lacking the playoffs final 12 months, they turned the youngest crew in NBA historical past to clinch a No. 1 seed and the youngest to win a playoff collection this season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was an MVP finalist and proved himself worthy by averaging 30 factors per sport within the playoffs. Chet Holmgren was runner-up for Rookie of the 12 months and established himself as one of many league’s high shot blockers. Jalen Williams, runner-up for Rookie of the 12 months final season, was the regular No. 2 scorer this season. Lu Dort was one of many league’s high perimeter defenders.
That core, with no starters older than 25, was among the many key causes Mark Daigneault was named NBA Coach of the 12 months, and why he’s trying ahead to the long run.
“It is a younger crew that’s evolving, and we’ve runway due to the age of the crew and the expertise degree of the crew,” Daigneault stated. “Lots of people talked about our expertise in a detrimental trend this 12 months, like, ‘You guys don’t have expertise.’ However a part of that’s it offers you an unbelievable runway transferring ahead, and it offers us a whole lot of optimism as we proceed to go.”
READ: NBA: Mavericks beat Thunder in wild end to achieve West finals
Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as a famous person the previous two years. Final season, he was a first-team All-NBA choice. This season, he was an All-Star once more and ranked third within the NBA in scoring. He additionally completed second within the league in steals and seventh within the balloting for Defensive Participant of the 12 months.
Daigneault stated Gilgeous-Alexander improved on little issues this season.
“I believe it’s simple to get awestruck by his expertise and what he’s engaging in and the way effectively he does it and the place that he’s carved out within the league,” Daigneault stated. “However the secret behind that could be very constant work, very focused work, and incremental enchancment.”
Holmgren was the No. 2 choose within the 2022 draft, however the 7-foot-1 ahead missed final season with a foot damage. He got here again and performed each sport this season, creating issues on each ends of the ground along with his versatility. He was the lacking piece for a protection that lacked a rim protector final season.
“Proper now that is, for my part, the bottom degree of Chet Holmgren we’re going to see, which is fairly thrilling,” Daigneault stated. “And the rationale I’m so assured saying that’s due to his urge for food for enchancment. He’s a man that’s extremely centered. Basketball is his primary precedence. He sleeps in his sneakers. He may have an awesome summer season bodily and skill-wise.”
READ: NBA: OKC Thunder clinch first playoff spot since 2020
The Thunder additionally received important contributions from Josh Giddey, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Jaylin Williams and rookie Cason Wallace. Wiggins, 25, is the oldest participant in that group.
Past the expertise, the Thunder had wonderful chemistry on and off the courtroom. The gamers typically would bark and joke round throughout one another’s postgame interviews.
“I believe above all it was simply very enjoyable,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “I believe that’s the place all of it begins. Like every single day you come to work the place it doesn’t really feel like work. You come to work, and also you attempt to excel individually and as a gaggle. When you might have a lot enjoyable, it makes every part else simpler. It type of clouds all of the dangerous stuff since you’re having a lot enjoyable.”
Oklahoma Metropolis’s confidence began to construct because the wins piled up.
“We proved within the common season with the season we had that there’s nobody we couldn’t beat, actually,” Daigneault stated. “It’s simply by no means my mentality to look left and proper. Wanting proper in entrance of me, we had every part we wanted. We had a particular group of men. A part of what made them particular is how they operated collectively.”
Gilgeous-Alexander believes the collection loss to Dallas will speed up the crew’s development course of.
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“I believe it is a bump within the highway,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “We be taught from it. We get higher. And hopefully get to our aim ultimately.”
