Postgame Media Availability with Coach Daigneault | OKC Thunder | November 4, 2026 — Transcript

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1. 0:00Mark, despite the, you know, variables
2. 0:02changing tonight, you know,
3. 0:04Caruso and J-Will out and um you know,
4. 0:06different lineups, they threw some
5. 0:08different punches. How are you all able
6. 0:10to get off to such a great start and
7. 0:12then sort of sustain it as as new
8. 0:14problems approach throughout the game?
9. 0:16>> Yeah, it was a great start both ends. I
10. 0:18thought the tone defensively we we took
11. 0:20another step forward there. Obviously,
12. 0:22they had a flurry of tough shots late,
13. 0:24but thought for the most part we
14. 0:26defended them well. Uh forced them to uh
15. 0:29their players.
16. 0:31Um and I was encouraged by the double
17. 0:32big lineup. You know, that was a mess in
18. 0:34the preseason when we tried it and we've
19. 0:36kind of tightened the screws on a little
20. 0:38bit and it gives us another option. Uh
21. 0:40Allen went out, so the need to go to it
22. 0:42throughout the game wasn't there, but um
23. 0:45you know, that was another encouraging,
24. 0:47you know, data point.
25. 0:48>> You've got, you know, rookies and and
26. 0:50two-way guys
27. 0:52making just incredible like fundamental
28. 0:54plays, closeouts to to end quarters, you
29. 0:57know, point communicating in in
30. 0:59transition buckets.
31. 1:00How is it Is it these guys that you've
32. 1:02brought in or or something going on with
33. 1:05their onboarding to get them up to speed
34. 1:07from like on the fundamental side so
35. 1:09quickly?
36. 1:09>> It's mainly the guys, you know, we're
37. 1:11never going to take credit for
38. 1:13um the work they're doing. It takes
39. 1:14incredible work and commitment uh for
40. 1:17them to do that. We just try to direct
41. 1:18their attention onto the things that
42. 1:20help the team win and um
43. 1:23you know, we prioritize fundamentals
44. 1:25with everybody from our veteran guys
45. 1:27uh to the new guys and if you're
46. 1:29fundamentally sound, you can go in the
47. 1:30game. And so uh that's where we start
48. 1:33with them and to their credit, you know,
49. 1:34they're competitors and they're team
50. 1:36guys and they're committed to those
51. 1:38things and we're not perfect, but um
52. 1:41they're improving rapidly at those
53. 1:43things and it's made them functional for
54. 1:44us.
55. 1:46>> I know it's
56. 1:47I know it's only two games, but two wins
57. 1:49in in very tough circumstances,
58. 1:51obviously, with you guys being
59. 1:52shorthanded. Just what does it say about
60. 1:53the group the way that they have
61. 1:54responded uh these past few games?
62. 1:57>> Well, I I the circumstances aren't going
63. 1:58to change, you know, in the short term.
64. 2:00So, um you know, I've said this before
65. 2:03we won these games, you know, we're not
66. 2:05going to look for sympathy. We're not
67. 2:06going to make excuses. Um
68. 2:09and we're going to accept the
69. 2:10circumstances as they are and try to
70. 2:12thrive within them. And that's been
71. 2:14something that the team has done over
72. 2:16time. And when we've done that, we've
73. 2:18benefited from it, you know, from the
74. 2:20investments we've made during those
75. 2:21times or um just the the metal that it
76. 2:25builds uh inside of the team. So,
77. 2:28um the guys have done a great job. Uh
78. 2:30and we'll continue to need to as we take
79. 2:32on, you know, more and more challenges
80. 2:34here.
81. 2:35>> They had 11-0 run start the second half
82. 2:37and uh cut it down to five, then you
83. 2:39called timeout, 7-0 run. What did you
84. 2:41talk to the guys about? I mean, I know
85. 2:43Shai got the first bucket, but what just
86. 2:44what you talked about to to kind of
87. 2:46stabilize things?
88. 2:47>> I don't remember. You know, sometimes
89. 2:49it's just a matter of, you know, let the
90. 2:50guys come over and reset a little bit.
91. 2:53Um
92. 2:54you know,
93. 2:55it wasn't a big speech. Um the guys know
94. 2:58what we need to do. I trust the team.
95. 3:01Um you know, so we came to the huddle.
96. 3:04We came out of the timeout, got a good
97. 3:05shot. Uh and that got us back on the
98. 3:07same direction, but um sometimes it's
99. 3:10just the opponent makes some tough shots
100. 3:11and you miss some good ones. Um
101. 3:14you know, you just got to be able to
102. 3:15kind of weather that storm and play the
103. 3:1648-minute game.
104. 3:18>> Sterz getting kind of comfortable a
105. 3:19little bit, at least more
106. 3:21at ease, I guess, being out there. He
107. 3:22had 16
108. 3:23off the bench for you tonight.
109. 3:24>> Yeah, he was really good. You know, he's
110. 3:26um
111. 3:27he let it rip. Um and is a threat out
112. 3:30there. He's a he's learning how to move
113. 3:32aggressively off the ball, kind of the
114. 3:34way McCain does. You know, those guys
115. 3:36uh that shoot with that gravity, you
116. 3:38know, they can really hunt shots. And
117. 3:39with the attention that our guards draw,
118. 3:41specifically Shai, but Mitchell as well,
119. 3:43um you know, defense collapses on those
120. 3:45guys and they get lost on those players
121. 3:47and you can get cracks on the perimeter
122. 3:49on this team. So,
123. 3:51um Bennett's done a great job. Um he's
124. 3:54he's shown some gutsy play. Um
125. 3:56you know, with the shot he made the
126. 3:57other night and continued that tonight.
127. 3:59He had a really good game.
128. 4:00>> Hey coach, um adversity can can bring
129. 4:04out the best in the team, obviously. Uh,
130. 4:06small sample size, but what's something
131. 4:08that this team's doing better right now
132. 4:10than they were doing in the, you know,
133. 4:11three or four games before the adversity
134. 4:14hit?
135. 4:15>> Um, I I mean, I just think it's just
136. 4:18fundamentals on both ends of the floor,
137. 4:19you know, like, uh, we obviously didn't
138. 4:21play great
139. 4:22in those games, and when we're in that
140. 4:24mode, we try not to solve like the
141. 4:26biggest problems. We try to just divide
142. 4:28and conquer with the little fundamental
143. 4:30things that we have a lot of control
144. 4:31over and put the emphasis on that with
145. 4:34the guys, and this team has the
146. 4:36competitive maturity to be able to go do
147. 4:38that. And, um, the last two games we've
148. 4:41done that, you know, and I thought even
149. 4:42in the Houston game we didn't, you know,
150. 4:45we had some leaks, but we took a step
151. 4:46forward there, so just need to keep
152. 4:48getting better, you know, with all these
153. 4:50experiences.
154. 4:53>> AJ seems to have made a leap just like
155. 4:55physically, athletically, and then like
156. 4:57on on the court you're seeing a lot.
157. 4:58What what are the things like the
158. 4:59primary things that you see from him
159. 5:01like improve from last season?
160. 5:04>> Yeah, I mean, he's awesome, obviously.
161. 5:06Um,
162. 5:07I think, you know, the his body did a
163. 5:10great job with his body.
164. 5:11Um, his game continues to season.
165. 5:14Um, he's always been a really good
166. 5:16player, but, you know, he's he's
167. 5:17tightening up, and then, you know, I
168. 5:19think one of the things that the really
169. 5:21really really good players learn is that
170. 5:24there's going to be ups and downs in a
171. 5:2548-minute game. There's going to be ups
172. 5:26and downs in a season, um, and you just
173. 5:29continue to bet on your work, you
174. 5:31continue to bet on your game, continue
175. 5:33to bet on your talent. I think that's
176. 5:34one of Shai's superpowers. Um, but it's
177. 5:37hard for young players to do that. Um,
178. 5:39even Jared working through the shooting
179. 5:41thing, you know, like, I thought I liked
180. 5:43the shots he took tonight. He didn't
181. 5:44force, but he didn't hide. Um, you just
182. 5:47got to keep betting on it and let your
183. 5:49talent rise to the surface, and um, I
184. 5:52think AJ's taken a step there, you know,
185. 5:54like, he understands that not every
186. 5:56quarter's going to be perfect, not every
187. 5:57game's going to be perfect, but he stays
188. 5:59aggressive, he stays inside of his game.
189. 6:02He's been very impressive with that so
190. 6:04far this season.
191. 6:05>> You mentioned competitive maturity. Do
192. 6:08you What stands out about
193. 6:10the competitive maturity, especially
194. 6:12over the last couple of weeks? Do you Do
195. 6:13you have you seen a change, or is it
196. 6:15just the standard that you guys have had
197. 6:17the last few years?
198. 6:18>> Yeah, no. It's There's no change. I
199. 6:20mean, that's
200. 6:21um
201. 6:22it's what we lean back on in all
202. 6:24circumstances. So,
203. 6:26um
204. 6:26when you have a lot of a success, which
205. 6:28we've had in the past,
206. 6:30um that stuff kind of keeps your feet on
207. 6:32the ground keeps you grounded. Um and
208. 6:34when you have adversity, that's the
209. 6:35stuff that helps you um
210. 6:37deal with the headwinds. So,
211. 6:39um you know, our our standards don't
212. 6:41change. Our emphasis doesn't change. Um
213. 6:44we're very consistent with that stuff,
214. 6:45and the guys are very consistent with
215. 6:46that, and it allows us to to stay pretty
216. 6:48neutral as we go through all the
217. 6:50inevitable ups and downs of a
218. 6:52competitive experience.
219. 6:53>> And I don't know if Bennett would have
220. 6:55been in this role had you guys not been
221. 6:57dealing with the injuries, but he is.
222. 6:59What have you seen from him the last few
223. 7:01games that is tr- making you trust him
224. 7:04to put him in there a little bit more?
225. 7:06>> I mean, the same thing as as a guy, like
226. 7:09a PV,
227. 7:10um Josh Dix. I mean, uh
228. 7:13an emphasis on fundamentals, and those
229. 7:16guys compete, and they play inside the
230. 7:17team, and then their fundamentals are
231. 7:19improving right now. And so, it allows
232. 7:21them to exist out there on the floor and
233. 7:24get positive stuff into the game. And um
234. 7:27those guys have done an unbelievable job
235. 7:29dating back to before training camp.
236. 7:32And you know, when our team was whole,
237. 7:34those guys did a lot of invisible work
238. 7:35to get themselves kind of caught up to
239. 7:37speed uh with a high-functioning team,
240. 7:39and now they're getting an opportunity,
241. 7:41and they're delivering for us. They're
242. 7:42doing a great job.
243. 7:43>> In the preseason related to a guy, you
244. 7:44said that you weren't telling all the
245. 7:45guys, like, "Hey, watch out for the
246. 7:47outlet passes." And they've sort of just
247. 7:48adjusted to his game. How have you seen
248. 7:50them continue to adjust to his game, and
249. 7:52how have you seen, I guess, him adjust
250. 7:53to the guys around him?
251. 7:55>> Um
252. 7:56I mean, obviously, the outlet passing's
253. 7:58one thing. I think his role gravity, you
254. 8:00know, when he rolls to the basket, um
255. 8:02he's a different target. You know, he's
256. 8:04just he's huge, and he's got great
257. 8:05hands, and he's got great like ball
258. 8:07control up there. You can throw it up to
259. 8:09him. Think we've learned that.
260. 8:11Um
261. 8:11I think defensively we've learned how to
262. 8:13play with him a little bit cuz he's just
263. 8:14a really unique player, you know, and so
264. 8:17um
265. 8:18the guys are learning how to empower
266. 8:20him, and he's he's learning. You know,
267. 8:22these these were tough covers. He's like
268. 8:24up in coverage tonight on Mitchell. And
269. 8:26for a guy that moves, you know, the
270. 8:28guy's 7-3, you know, it's tough to do to
271. 8:31be up there in the coverage, you know,
272. 8:34the there's a temptation to just park
273. 8:35him back there, but we're trying to
274. 8:37really push him fundamentally on on
275. 8:39things he's going to need to be able to
276. 8:40do, and he's like risen to the challenge
277. 8:42on that, you know, these last two games
278. 8:44he's done a pretty good job with that on
279. 8:46something that is easier said than done.
280. 8:48So.
281. 8:49>> Two more. Go ahead.
282. 8:51>> Okay. Yeah, uh coach, I
283. 8:53we hear coaches all the time talk about
284. 8:56next man up, and
285. 8:57a lot of teams say it, very few teams
286. 8:59actually do it. Uh you guys do, and I
287. 9:02wonder if you consider it more of a
288. 9:04function of the type of people you bring
289. 9:06in cuz it seems like no matter who you
290. 9:08bring in, they have that mentality. Is
291. 9:10it more of the type of person you bring
292. 9:11in, or is it what you teach more so?
293. 9:15>> A way more the former, you know, it I
294. 9:17think Sam and his group do a great job
295. 9:20of identifying people that
296. 9:23you know,
297. 9:24are going to like align and identify
298. 9:26with the things that we emphasize, which
299. 9:28is also why having consis- consistent
300. 9:30emphasis is important cuz it just it
301. 9:32gives
302. 9:33um everybody a target. You know, we know
303. 9:36who we are, we know what we want to be
304. 9:37about. Um and so it allows those guys to
305. 9:40go out there,
306. 9:42find guys that are a good match for
307. 9:43that, and they do a phenomenal job of
308. 9:45that. I mean, Michael Beasley's a great
309. 9:46example, you know, he's just like
310. 9:48finishing our sentences right now in
311. 9:50terms of the way that uh we want to be,
312. 9:52and so it makes it really easy, you
313. 9:54know, to uh with a role available for
314. 9:57him
315. 9:58to put him out there and let him help
316. 9:59the team.
317. 10:01>> Mark, along those lines, Kenny Atkinson
318. 10:04uh
319. 10:05said pregame described you guys more as
320. 10:06a program than a team. He said there's a
321. 10:09handful of teams in the NBA that are
322. 10:10more like programs. We just wanted to
323. 10:12get your thoughts on that and maybe how
324. 10:14you guys have cultivated that over the
325. 10:16years.
326. 10:17>> Uh I mean, it's an organizational thing,
327. 10:18and I think it's um
328. 10:20it's it's a pretty holistic program.
329. 10:22There's a lot of people that touch that
330. 10:24directly and indirectly. So, um
331. 10:27you know, Sam I've heard him say this to
332. 10:29players, you know, he wants them to have
333. 10:31a great basketball experience here. And
334. 10:34um that's what the organization
335. 10:36delivers. Starts with Clay, with the
336. 10:38resourcing, um and then Sam with his
337. 10:41vision and the operation that he's
338. 10:43built, and then a lot of really talented
339. 10:45people that will just do anything for
340. 10:47our players. And so,
341. 10:49uh when you've got that in place and
342. 10:50then you bring in guys that, like I
343. 10:52said, naturally align with that, um then
344. 10:55you're running a program. We're not the
345. 10:57only team that does it. We're also not
346. 10:58perfect at it, um but that's what we're
347. 11:00aspiring to, so it's a high compliment
348. 11:02coming from another another team.