OKC Thunder Full Media Availability | Post Game at Los Angeles Lakers | January 15, 2024

OKC Thunder Full Media Availability | Post Game at Los Angeles Lakers | January 15, 2024

Shade Jaylen was just saying you guys kind of had some possessions where you had good looks off of one pass uh in general do you all like to you know would you have liked to maybe work offense more or are you okay with getting those types of shots uh early in

A possession like that um I think it’s a mix of both you you want to be aggressive and take good shots when they’re available to you um no matter when you get them but um there’s for sure a few possessions we could have worked offense a little more

Said we seen teams throw zones at you I just wonder what so challenging about theirs and Mark just mentioned that um on some of those possessions like you guys kind of kept the ball on one side of the floor like did you kind of get

That that same sense as the game went on like specifically against their Zone yeah our zone offense was not good tonight clearly um I don’t I’m not too sure exactly what it was um we’ll figure that out be ready for tomorrow but uh yeah we could all feel it that wasn’t our

Greatest seem to be really active on the offensive glass tonight just not just getting the offensive rebounds but TI some that went to them um what how much of the emphasis was that pretty nice right yeah it was big um they’re obviously a big group and a a good

Defensive team um and extra possessions really helped us stay game what else we got Medina go ahead hey sh you’ve been a special player for a while but so far in this early part of the Season what ways do you think that you’ve grown um I uh leadership and

Maturity I would say those two things guess what’s your approach with those facets compared to other years um it’s just I wouldn’t I would there no different approach I’m just learning more about how to um I guess assert myself in different situations is it easier or tougher to

Prepare for a different challenge now tomorrow night in playing the Clippers um I think it’s easier um it just got beat um obviously we’re not happy with the performance so I think we’ll be a little more motivated Joel just mentioned your leadership and Lou I think recent weeks has just talked

About the way you’ve changed and the way he seen you change since you guys have played together because this is a young team and I imagine um maybe you don’t find sources of inspiration on this team and team just where are you drawing inspiration from to become a better

Leader like where are those models coming from that you’re seeing and learning from um I I wouldn’t I don’t I don’t think I’ve seen it anywhere um I think I’m just trying to be authentic with with it and and and just kind of have the guys right

Interest in and and kind of help where I can I don’t think there’s any like inspiration in terms of that I think it’s the best when you are authentic with it and be true to yourself true those L like where do you just organically how do you organically just

Become a a better leader like how do you see that materialize like in in what ways like how is that becoming a thing when you’re not when you don’t have have inspiration elsewhere and you have to do it yourself um I don’t know it’s just been an emphasis of mine

Um I I don’t know I don’t I don’t know where it comes from to be honest I just try to do I’m just try to do it try to be better at it check you guys into again third in the league and points in the faint they

Scor my 20 tonight I just wonder um what you felt they did to kind of limit you guys inside um I feel like they really uh you know packed those driving lanes and uh really loaded up on on the dribble um and uh combination of uh you know missing shots and

Uh uh getting sticky at times uh played into their hands um so we just got to come out tomorrow and be better at that and uh you know clean up some of our other mistakes as well Mark has said that he often you know when shots aren’t

Falling for you guys they actually call more like shooting related plays to just reinforce like hey you know stick stick with the process was that uh happening tonight that you guys were kind of like doubling down on on the types of shots that you were trying to get uh yeah I mean we

Got really good players on this team who work really hard at their game and that includes shooting so you know we trust uh you know everybody uh to be able to do what they work on um you know missed shots happen it’s part of the game um

And you know we have confidence that the law of averages is going to play into our hands and uh you know it’s going to come back around um uh we didn’t quite get there tonight but uh you know we got to bounce back hey sh you showcase your ability

Today to protect the rim with that block on LeBron uh do you feel that on the offensive end sometimes you need to be more aggressive or what are some of the things that you feel that you can still improve on um I mean I have a lot of areas to

Improve on uh you know I I I got to be a better on on the offensive end um you know I got to continue to be aggressive and uh you know continue to figure out uh you know where I can insert myself out on the floor um you know especially

On that end uh you know when things are um you know uh getting tight for us at times in the game I got to figure out how to open it up for uh you know my teammates as well as myself so um you know lot lots of areas to improve there

Thank there’s seem to give you guys issues what are some uh ways you feel like you guys could attack a little bit better um I got to get back in and and watch the film on that one to figure that one out um you know you can’t always see exactly what they’re

Doing uh in real time uh especially when you only have one point of view out there and you’re not seeing the whole floor so um you know I got to get in the film in the uh film lab and and figure that out J just what did you feel in

Terms of the physicality of this game and kind of the scrappy plays that you guys were able to generate throughout the night I mean you know the Lakers have size all across the board and as well as athleticism um you know and and you know they’re going to bring the

Intensity uh so you know when they hit you you got to hit them back uh you know otherwise you know they’re just going to try and punk you if you if you let them so so uh you know we got to continue to be uh assertive on both ends of the floor not

Only with the Lakers but any other team that we play um you know our physicality uh is is important to our defense um and it really ignites our offense CH what have you taken away from both times you’ve matched up against ad in terms of things you think you’ve done

Well and things you think you can do um yeah just I feel like uh you know each time we play the Lakers I’m I’m getting more comfortable with uh you know guarding what they’re trying to do um within their sets and then also understanding um you know what ad does

As a player and what he’s trying to get to um and I feel like in a lot of the one-on-one situations I held my ground and um you know he’s a good player so um you know he’s still going to make an impact on the game and um you know

Figure out to make winning plays and and he did that tonight and um you know we we got to just be better next time when we play them what do you and your teammates have to do better tomorrow night to get a win um the easy answer would just be you

Know make shots um but uh you know I feel like that can always be kind of a copout um you know whether you make shots or not um you got to figure out different ways to win the game uh when you need to so um you know we just got

To continue to obviously the Clippers are a different team than than the Lakers they play different um so we really got to key in on on what they’re trying to do um on the offensive end and then um you know figure out how we can exploit them on the on the defensive end

Um so we’re going to do that uh at shoot around and film tomorrow and um you know prepare for the game obviously a big reason why so many people are bull is you haven’t really looked like a rookie a ton this year I guess what normal rookies usually look

Like um and so I just think of the the few turnovers we had today um and and just what you saw there and I just wonder what perspective you keep in terms of just reminding yourself that you’re in your first year even though it doesn’t always seem like uh yeah I I try

Not to even put that in my head again I feel like that’s another one of those copout things be like it’s my first year it’s you know I held myself to a standard and um you know I got to be better than I was tonight uh you know a

Couple of those turnovers are um you know ones that are easily preventable and I have to do that um you know to help our put our team in a better position to win games so um you know I got to clean that up and and you know I’m going to do

Everything I can to be better for the next one Jacob you guys didn’t quite get the the cuts into the game the way that you you normally do some driving angles based on just how soft their coverage was um what was it challenging with that

And um thoughts on on uh ways that you might attack that in the future we just let their length get in the game um thought did a good job early getting out in transition and that comes with stops um I think we had a stretch in the third

Quarter where we just it got sticky I think that was when they went Zone kind of let that stun us a little bit um and then you canile that with not shooting the best either I think we kind of let that get to us so took a couple bat ones

And this basketball so you know a little run can can kind of end the game there but um yeah just didn’t move them around the shell enough um and they’re they’re a good team you know they’re smart and and they’re you know they have size we kind of let that impact defensively and

Then obviously they’re kind of able to get out and use that against us offensively too so just learning from it being more willing to move the ball um stuff that we’ve been doing all year so not too much of an adjustment going forward there’s seem to give you guys

Some issues tonight where do some way like you guys tack uh just moving moving off the quad a little bit uh being willing to passed the ball more than once you know we do a couple where we just shot him kind of quick um we kind of fell in love

With that a little bit just cuz we’ve been shooting the ball really well so kind of understanding that working the possessions a little more uh try and get something towards the rim a little bit and and go from there then you guys seem to be really active on the offensive

Glass not just getting them they’re tapping some out to them that some of them they got but uh how much of a emphasis was that for you guys tonight uh a pretty big emphasis just cuz we weren’t shooting it well either so you know if we can kind of get those

Possessions back I think that’s big for our offense um anytime you can get Second Chance points um you honestly end up with a lot more open shots than I think people realize when you’re able to kind of get those rebounds with everybody scrambling so um knowing that

It’s just more opportunities to go score the ball and and be that way and you know like you said unfortunately some of them you know get tipped out and they get on the run but for the most part it really actually helps our transition def defense as

Well men between you know just the the defense they played um you know the way you got in love with some I wonder because you shot 49 thre I imagine some of those you actually tried to generate where you generally satisfied with with most of those looks yeah for sure um

Like I said it was just a stretch of basketball during I don’t remember the thir it was around the third quarter going into the fourth where we just didn’t get um um we didn’t make them work um defensively and then they were coming down using that against us so for

The most part I we usually shoot a lot of good um good open threes and that’s something that we pride oursel on as a team but when we kind of look back at the game I think that’s the stretch where we’re going to be like if we’ have

Shared a little more I think we would have been better off cuz then they end up getting a run and going up uh about like N9 or 10 and then obviously sustain that for the rest of the game so if we can just kind of cut that out I think we’ll be

Solid J I think over the last eight games just shooting like over 60% from the field only in your second year what have you felt like has been the difference in terms of you know from your first year at this point and now we’re reaching a half point now to this

Year what do you feel like in WS you’ve gotten better in terms of pace and everything else in your reads too um just being on the floor more uh as probably simple as that that answer sounds I think just the amount of reps that I’m getting throughout last year

And um I think last year when Shay was out that was big for me too just cuz I was handing the ball so I was in a lot of situations that I’m in now uh coaching staff trusting me to kind of go out there and just play my game I’ve been

Saying that a lot just being able to go out there and you know they’ll kind of live with a lot of my mistakes as long as I’m you know trying to process stuff the right way uh I think I’ve been doing that just getting more comfortable in

The actions that we’re in and uh just reps during the summer that I’ve been getting and Reps during the season uh when we’re not playing I think I’ve been doing a good job of that kind of figuring out what I like to do on the cork within those reps sorry um I feel

Like you’re not I mean a lot of players need screens you don’t need screens I feel like that’s big you know not needing a screen to get by your Defender um did that take you a little bit of time not needing a screen because I know

Santa CLA you got a lot of screens and actions but now I see you you don’t need a screen to get by your Defender I’ve been seeing you do that a lot and making like nice moves P dribbles in splits between two like just those little

Different things uh yeah I think some of that is understanding where I like to be at on the floor so um a lot of my work in the summer was just figuring out how to get to those spots without having to use a ball screen and take up space that way um I

Think it helps too cuz our team shoots the ball so well I have a lot more space on the floor to kind of get to where I want to be at and then yeah some of that’s just working out knowing where where I want to be and getting efficient

As possible through that not using as many dribbles to get to where I like to be at on the floor J you had mentioned the importance of the the offensive rebounds tonight on a night when you’re not shooting the ball particularly well there were also a lot of just Scrappy

Kind of Fearless plays like Isaiah and Cas blocking LeBron James and guys just scrapping for a loose ball just how important were were those sort of possessions in this kind of game um good it kept us in the game for sure um especially during that stretch I think

We made a couple Scrappy plays that kind of sto them from you know pushing that lead even more um but that’s Thunder Thunder basketball n we just play hard and um we understand that you know some nights were going to be kind of under Siz in in

That regard you know you guys see me play the four or the five k Rich will come in and play the five so understand that we kind of know we got to be Scrappy in this from one to 15 down I think we’ve been doing a good job of

That last de along similar lines obviously there are some some great big men in this league we’ve talked time and time again about you know when you guys to play yic or and be it’s a fiveman defense um and I know ad is a great defender but on the other end like just

What are some of the challenges that he poses and and just generally like as you go through a season series like what are some of the things you’re to do from game to game to kind of limit him uh you talking about defensively limit him yeah

Um try and get him out of the paint as much as possible um that goes for a lot of bigs in general not taking anything from ad you know he’s a good shot blocker and um moves his feet well but um when he’s able to kind of affect the

Game in the paint uh and when we got sticky I think you know that’s when he can kind of really show his presence takes a lot of space up on the court um and he’s a smart a smart Defender too so he kind of knows where he wants to be at

On the floor defensively so um yeah just trying to get him out of out of the pain a little bit move him around uh like I said that didn’t really help him we were kind of bombing threes at that one part but um yeah he he used his size well

Kind of when he’s in the paint and that kind of takes up a lot of space Oh follow I I definitely met on the other end but just like the physicality he posed to as as a scorer like just what are some the differences with him I know

In be is a pretty physically imposing guy but like what what does AD do that is so challenging to guard him um shoots it well uh especially kind of the way they run their offense he gets a lot of uh I want to say like elbow catches you know

Short short around the rim catches so he got good touch there um and short roll I think any big kind of short roll you know and poses a problem there I think which is why Chad is also effective in that regard so um but yeah he just gives

Them a lot of different looks cuz he’s faces the floor so um and then when you have him and Braun kind of in that pick and roll makes things a little difficult but um yeah he’s a good player so he’s been doing well in the league for a long

Time so he kind of understands on he wants to do on the court Nick Gallow casy Thunder uh Mark seemed like just the way that they were defending and sagging prevented some of your your uh cutting and driving uh was it more them or or were there things

That you guys could have uh done differently to to to get those types of opportunities yeah I thought um they had a good plan I thought they did a really good job of good game plan and good execution by them they deserved a win um I didn’t think it prevented The Cutting

I thought that could have really helped us tonight if we were a little bit better about uh taking some Cuts uh usually that’s a good counter to teams that plug off like that uh obviously we didn’t shoot the ball great uh we didn’t play great it didn’t generate a great

Rhythm offensively some of that that was them some of that was us um so certainly not our best game but C something we can learn from s along those lines just I think you shoot at least little close to 53 threo attempts were you satisfied with

With most of those looks um I mean I’m sure I was satisfied with a lot of them I thought we got some decent ones uh but it’s more about the way we play and whether or not that yields uh efficient shots and I thought we left something to

Be desired there tonight on a lot of possessions uh if we play the right way and it ends up being a three we have no problem with that um but there was a lot of possessions like I said wasn’t even just the passing uh just our willingness

To move the floor and cut and move them around uh like we’ve had success with against them in the past I didn’t think we did that to a high enough level tonight what uh learning experiences do you think C can take away from the tonight um I mean he does a nice job

Just generally with you know learning from every game I don’t think this was magnified in any ways played against him before I thought our team you know defensively uh it wasn’t our best offensively and then defensively uh they play pretty slow they pick on matchups it’s it really becomes an execution game

And they had 64 points in the paint uh which is well above the average that we give up and they kind of had their way on a lot of possessions so um certainly like I said something we can all learn from CH what did you make of the

Physicality in this game and just seemed like there were a lot of moments of Truth tonight that guys kind of stepped up too yeah I thought uh you know at our best tonight defensively we had a lot of Scrappy tough possessions where we really put them in a crowd uh Jam the

Ball out for some rebounds thought we had some great possessions on that end of the floor we got a little bit loose in the third I thought where it was kind of a parade to the rim there for a couple minutes but there were stretches of the game I thought we defended really

Well uh and stretches of the game where I thought our floor game offensively was really good but obviously uh we’ve got to be consistent with both ends and certainly weren’t good enough there tonight their Zone seem to give you guys a lot of issues um you mentioned the

Passing and The Cutting are there more ways that you feel like you guys could have attacked it better yeah I thought um you know some of it with that is if you generate good ones it’s it’s make or Miss um thought there was a little bit

Of that uh it did throw us a little bit out of rhythm um but we’ve been pretty good there you know we talked about it after that Minnesota game uh where it was similar it kind of shifted the the the game back then we’ve we’ve really

Attacked it well we’ve seen it quite a bit I’ve attacked it really well weren’t as sharp with our attacks tonight but um we weren’t as sharp with really anything tonight we could have been a lot better in every facet and seemed like you guys were really active on the offensive

Class you didn’t get them all but you got tapping them out to uh they just having to get some of them but uh what’ you like about the effort on the last night yeah I thought you know on a game where you know we didn’t have our fast

Ball from an execution standpoint on either end uh we made some effort plays that helped us you know we turned them over quite a bit uh with some deflections and some activity plays and like you said we went to the offensive glass and really uh generated some second chances for ourselves which uh

Was helpful tonight on a night where you know we really didn’t have a lot going

Hear from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Head Coach Mark Daigneault following the Thunder’s 105 – 112 loss to the Lakers.

0:00 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
3:51Chet Holmgren
9:45 Jalen Williams
17:48 Coach Daigneault

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