How does OKC Thunder view return to NBA Playoffs? Here's what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said
NEW YORK — Phil Jackson had his rule of thumb. Mark Daigneault has his.
Daigneault has said the great teams that he’s known featured star players who possessed an autonomy over the team and its locker room. A reach that’s unlike what a front office or staff can provide. A level of responsibility taken in wins and losses, in urgency and slumps, through rebuilds and through dynasties.
On Sunday, the Thunder clinched a playoff berth — its first in four years — with a 113-112 win against the Knicks. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joined before this vision was realized, a sneaky grab in a trade for assets well before he’d been thought of as a first option. He’s since set the standard for the team’s next era.
“Not really no big hoorah for me,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of OKC’s playoff berth. “This team has big goals, big aspirations. This is one of the things that was on our list for sure. … We don’t feel like there’s need to celebrate. We haven’t done anything yet.”
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Daigneault has had his share of reach. He’s watched the organization regrow its roots from just about every angle. As the head coach of its G League affiliate, as an assistant, as head coach of the Thunder. He approached Sunday’s news with perspective.
“Great accomplishment for the organization,” Daigneault said. “There's a lot of invisible people whose fingerprints are on that, that have put a lot of work in, in our support staff, up and down the organization. No one deserves it more than our players. These guys have shown uncommon poise and toughness. A lot of them have been a part of this build, and (we’ve) tasted our own blood at different times. And we've just stuck with it. I couldn't be happier for the team, for the organization.”
Josh Giddey, a product of the Thunder’s multi-year rebuild, had a harder time containing his appreciation.
“To think where we've come from, from 12 months ago, 24 months ago when I first got here, it's unbelievable,” Giddey said. “There's probably a lot of the basketball world (that) didn't think we'd be where we're at this quickly. … I've been a part of games where we've been blown out by 70. I've been a part of games where we've won by 60. So I've seen both sides of it. It feels much better to be on this end of it.“
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How does OKC Thunder view return to NBA Playoffs? Here's what SGA said
