SGA reveals how Mark Daigneault prepared OKC for ‘awkward’ rotation changes

In the middle of Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams’ regular season debut in Saturday’s NBA Cup win against the Phoenix Suns, head coach Mark Daigneault and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander watched Ajay Mitchell limp off the floor with a left knee contusion. The extended list of injuries seems endless for the defending champion. It didn’t derail the Thunder’s winning streak, however, as Williams’ return helped secure their 10th straight victory.

Oklahoma City improved to 19-1. After the win, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander revealed that Daigneault’s rotation is drastically changing due to injuries, they did not affect the team’s victory streak for its strong next-man-up approach.

“It was a little awkward. Our rotations, obviously, haven’t changed on a dime,” Gilgeus-Alexander said. “One of the muscles that coach has built for us over the last few years is he’s so random with the lineups and he puts guys in the game, he’s got different situations out there. Guys, they’re playing different spots. When those things happen, it’s seamless for us. We don’t even notice it.”

“We just go out there and do our job no matter who’s on the floor with us, and that’s probably why we’ve gotten off to the start we’ve gotten on the last couple of years with major injuries,” Gilgeous-Alexander concluded.

There has been no update on Ajay Mitchell’s potential return midway through his season, as the second-year guard has emerged as one of Daigneault’s options off the bench. Mitchell is averaging 15.2 points on 45.8% shooting, 3.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game this season.

Marc Daigneault was impressed with Jalen Williams’ season debut

In his first outing since Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Jaylen Williams impressed Thunder head coach Mark Dayno in his regular season debut. After the Thunder’s 123-119 victory over the Suns in the NBA Cup on Friday, Daigneault gushed over Williams’ performance after a five-month absence.

“He played the right way and really competed,” Daigneault said. “I thought the ball pressure was like he played yesterday, the way he was pressing the ball and lifting the ball. It was really impressive, actually, for a guy who hasn’t played since Game 7. So we’ve got to get him back. We had a lot of changes tonight without Hart. Without Ajayi. You add him. Kenrich is only in his second game.

“There were just a lot of things that were different right away, which was a little awkward, but it gives us something to work through. And, I was really pleased with the way we kind of stuck with it tonight. We weren’t embarrassed by it or frustrated with the game. We just played the next possession. He did the best he could control and he did everything he could control. Nice start for him,” Daigneault concluded.

Williams and the Thunder will face the Trail Blazers on Sunday.