Practice Media Availability with Chet and Coach Daigneault | November 25, 2025 | OKC Thunder

What y’all got for me? All right. You got mental soda. You get coming up on Wednesday. You get Does that kind of get your attention? You got another big guy like Rio Bear who’s going to be banging with Cup game. Get your more attention a little bit. Uh I mean, I think anytime you’re playing against a really good team, uh you know, you come prepared and come ready to go, especially given it’s a cup game like you said. Uh but you know, that’s just another night in the NBA, my man. So, uh you know, we see really talented players every single night. Um, so we just got to get ready and prepare for uh uh tomorrow like every other game. I asked Mark about u the compete level. That’s something he talked about last year. He’s talked about this year as well. Said you guys have obviously done a really good job on that level. Is is that something that I guess uh kind of preaching to you as soon as you get here? Something you pass on to the younger guys like Bonheiser and some of the rooks guys. Yeah. Um or do they come with it? I I was going to say uh you know a common trait uh that people have that land land them in this building is uh is what you just mentioned. Uh you know not many people end up here um if they have to be taught those things. Usually it’s kind of like a like a innate just you know way they approach the game that show up in uh even for camp like pickup games or just in training camp. I mean, it shows up in anything competitive, whether we’re playing a card game, uh, you know, arguing our point on whatever topic we’re talking about. You know, it’s just, you know, uh, everybody here is very competitive and, uh, you know, they let that shine. Sam made the, uh, Oklahoma Hall of Fame recently. Yeah. I just kind of wondering what your thoughts were to that. Uh, first of all, congrats to him. Uh, it was a hell of a speech that he gave. Um, obviously welld deserved. uh you know, the amount of things that he’s done for Oklahoma is is impressive. Um you know, people associate him so much with with the team and what’s happened with the team, but uh he really does truly care about Oklahoma beyond the team. uh you know, I first understood that when when he brought us to the uh memorial, uh you know, our rookie class when we first got drafted and made sure that we understood the history of the city, why everybody’s comes together so much. And then also just the way he kind of appreciates uh you know, the landscape of the city and how important this new arena is coming up and how he uh uh talks about the importance of the details. You can tell he’s a detail guy. Um, but you know, it goes so much farther than basketball and uh, you know, long story short, welld deserved. And you held your uh, fourth annual Thanksgiving community event. How was that kind of brainstormed? Um, a so came up with it four years ago, so I don’t remember exactly how, but um, you know, I have wonderful family. Uh big thanks goes to them for helping, you know, put it together every year. Um but I just felt like I have a wonderful family and uh you know, foster families are very important, especially for kids who aren’t given, uh you know, kind of the quote unquote normal upbringing. Uh and anybody who’s willing to bring a child that isn’t theirs into their home and and look after them. uh is somebody with a very big heart and uh you know I just wanted to do something special for them. So I do a lot of work with with the foster families uh year round uh whether it’s Thanksgiving event or uh a Christmas event or you know I donate tickets every game to a different foster family uh so that you know we can kind of share Thunder basketball with them. Um you know and then anytime uh you know one-off things pop up where I can kind of involve them I try to do that. um give back, help give them some special experiences. There’s a lot of talk around the league. People I guess assume come out for title short off off season. Maybe you wouldn’t come out. You as a team would come out as as committed I guess as you are. Obviously have 17 and one. What where did that come from? Uh if that’s something you guys talk about, something you just uh want to reaffirm what happened last season? Um, I mean we definitely talked about uh we definitely talked about things that can help us versus things that can hurt us um coming into the season and as the season’s evolved and everybody has a really good understanding of uh what those things are and how we need to approach things. And then on top of that, you know, uh we don’t really have anybody on the team who’s just kind of sitting and reminiscing on what a great career they had. I think everybody on the team is still chasing and striving for uh for more. Uh you know, the you know, championship wasn’t the last check on their bucket list. Uh you know, I think that goes for everybody on the on the team. And um you know guys just came out pumped and juiced to play basketball again. I know I did. And uh you know it’s a long season. We still got 60 games. What? 60 what? 65 64. Yeah. So you know we got a long way to go but uh you know we’re enjoying it. Yeah. So those youth helped you because youth was always used against you last season. This it’s kind of helped. Yeah. Um, you know, narratives are formed and opinions are formed by people who uh have absolutely no impact on uh outcomes or uh you know what leads to those outcomes. Uh you know people say youth hurt us now they’re saying youth helped us. You know it’s just you know if we played bad this year they’d say we’re youthful and we don’t know how to approach the season after winning a championship. You know what I’m saying? So, uh, you know, you can you can try to create correlations there, but I just think that we’re a hungry team that is chasing improvement, trying to get better, and that’s all there is to it. Chad, obviously the other night, um, not your best offensive night, but end up with three blocks on the defensive side. Just kind of talk about, do you take just as much pride in your defensive as much as you do in your offense? Yeah, always. Um, uh, you know, no matter how good of a night you have on one end, if it’s terrible on the other end, you’re going to be pissed at yourself. So, I was pissed at myself after that game. Um, even though I feel like I had a pretty good night on the defensive end, uh, plugged up a lot of gaps, blocked a few shots like you said, uh, executed coverages really well. Um, you know, shot didn’t feel too great last game, but, you know, I just said we had what, 64 games left, so it’s a long season. Uh, you know, I just have to find the consistency there to where every single night, you know, I go out there, it feels good, and I’m ready to roll. So, uh, you know, that’s what I was working on in practice today, uh, you know, whether I see the ball go in or out, I’m come back in and work to keep trying to improve that. So, um, you know, I’m keep shooting them with confidence and then, uh, you know, keep trying to rock out on defense, too. Uh, you know, I’m a big believer and, uh, a great team. Everybody has to play both sides of the ball. Something a little lighter. What’s your Thanksgiving side? Me and J.R. were just talking about desserts. Um, I can count as excited. Yeah. Little side plate of dessert. Stack it up. Uh, my sister’s pretty good uh dessert maker. We were just talking about key lime pie and cheesecake and chocolate cake that she she made the other day for my charity Thanksgiving event. And um I’d say my favorite dessert is she makes macaroons. Fire. It’s pretty hard to make, too. Yeah, very it’s very impressive, too. Uh they look exactly like, you know, if you ever go into one of those little uh dessert shops or whatever and they’re like perfectly round, look like like almost like art piece. She even has the aesthetic of it down and then it tastes great, too. So, yeah, she’s pretty good. Yeah, she’s talented. All right, everybody. You all have good hair. Mark, for for years you guys have talked about kind of 48 minute mentality and a lot of times that’s been we’ve talked about that in terms of just it’s a long game. There’s plenty of time to to come back and also time for the other team to come back. Where do you see that though in terms of Sheay and his like mental approach to the manipulation of the game, the the setup of the game, the the testing of the different um ways that teams are are guarding or playing on the other end. I think that’s something that they learn uh with experience is that, you know, it’s a it’s a long game. You live to fight another possession. Um you could take the temperature of the game uh early on. He’s done a great job of that. I think he understands the length of uh not only the game, but his stretches. Um you know, and that it applies to, you know, every single night. So, um he’s done a great job of that. The team’s done a great job of that. And then just how about his setup with his teammates? Like seems to be a recognition of like, okay, a guy needs a shot here or, you know, we got to got to get somebody going in different portions of the game. Yeah, I think he’s, you know, he’s got great empathy. Um, he’s been in every stage of his career, you know, to this point. He’s been a rookie trying to make his way. He’s been, uh, like a young star trying to prove himself. He’s um you know he’s he’s kind of walked in the shoes of a lot of his teammates uh that are younger than him and um he brings that empathy to the court and you know tries to do whatever it takes to help them out. So you know with a young guy like AJ he’s trying to constantly give that guy confidence. Um, last game I thought what you were talking about, he was with Chad, like Chad couldn’t get it going uh early and there was a a part of the game there right in front of our bench where he was like really just trying to get him a shot, you know, he did uh and then he got him a dunk the next possession. So, um just all part of him being a great teammate, player, all that. And Scott, remember last uh season you talked about you want to see the first 15 games. So, it’s a compete level with the guys. You’re almost 20 games into now. What have you seen? What do you want to see at the beginning of this season considering coming off a championship? And uh what have you seen the first 18 games of the season? Yeah, I mean that I think you want to lay a strong foundation of competitiveness and togetherness on both ends of the floor. Um and you want people watching the team, opponents, fans, anybody uh watching the team and saying, “Man, that team competes together.” And I think we’ve done that for the first, you know, 18 games. um that’s not a given tomorrow, you know, you gota you got to drum it up again. Uh but the guys have done a great job so far of establishing that as kind of our baseline and and establishing that standard uh as we progress through the season. Is that something that even that’s regardless of score whatever when you’re talking about computing I mean you’re 17 once the record is obviously you’re doing something right. Yep. But can you do that and still win games? Not win. I mean, doesn’t that is that a baseline where you got to have that to just to win or can you be so good where you actually not be better? Um I mean if if you want to have the best habits, then you got to do it, you know. And one of the things that’s been encouraging, like I thought, um we’re in Utah the other night and Jay Will dives in the stands. were up by 30, you know, and uh Isaiah Joe, I mentioned after the game the other night, but he got two like transition back tips. He’s like chasing the ball down and tipping the ball from behind. And those are like those are great indicators to me because that’s that’s a team that’s playing to a standard and not to the score. Um and we’ve got to be that team uh if we want to maximize ourselves and uh be the best version of of this team that we can be. And the guys have done a great job of that. And those are two examples. Mark, I was watching one of the many uh afterlast season docs or podcasts or something that came out. I can remember it was you or somebody else that said something about the defense to the effect that you guys are not a reactive defense, you’re an attacking defense, which inherently in my brain I probably knew, but when did your idea of defense evolve to that or how did you guys come to sort of thinking of defense as attack and not react? Um, it’s been our mentality for as long as we’ve been at it, you know. Uh, you just it the the players uh are too talented, the teams are too good uh to let them kind of have their way and and let them dictate um where they go on the floor or uh the tempo of the game in some cases or optionality, you know, like if you give great players too many options, then they they kind of have their way. Um, and so, you know, looking at what what does the opponent want the game to look like and how can we disrupt that, you know, and it t but it requires unbelievable effort and focus. I think every team’s trying to do that. Um, but you need to put a lot of horsepower behind that and that’s where having competitive guys that are into the team is really helpful. Do you um I mean do you feel like there are times when you have to revert to being more reactive? I mean, I assume, you know, teams are trying to figure out a way to get you guys on your on your heels when you can, but I mean, how do you sort of balance that to maybe and then get back into that attack mode? I mean, it’s I think both of those things are happening almost every possession. You know, certainly, um, you miss a shot and they’re, you know, trying to attack you in transition, that’s a reactive state. Um, they get an offensive rebound and now they’re trying to, you know, score against the shot clock. That’s a reactive state. um you get beat and you have to scramble, that’s reactive, you know. So, there’s definitely reactive parts of um that end of the floor and you want to be good at kind of putting the fires out when they come up, but you also want to be good at preventing the fires in the first place and that’s where some of the um you know, a more proactive and and attacking mindset could be helpful. Sam made the Oklahoma Hall of Fame recently. Just kind of want to get your your thoughts on that accomplishment. Yeah, I mean I I’ve said this many times, but um what he and Clay collectively have done is amazing. You know, Clay obviously uh had the vision to bring the team here um and uh you know, put the people in place and have supported his people with unbelievable um leadership and humility. Uh, and Sam has been the architect of of bringing that vision to life, you know, with the decisions that he’s made over time, the investments he’s made in the organization, um, the people he’s brought in over time, and and, you know, he’s done that for a very significant amount of time now, almost two decades, which is a long, long time. Um, and he’s done so with tremendous endurance uh, and determination. And so that award is um, is is welld deserved. Mark, uh, Kase has kind of hovered over weeding the league in steals this year. Just kind of talk about any specific skills that you see from him on the defensive side that’s kind of made him to be in that position. Um, I mean, he’s got great talent. You know, he’s he’s a great athlete. He’s strong. Um, he’s got great speed, he’s got great hands. Um, and he’s also like a a very uh competitive, determined player. Um, that’s tough as nails. uh loves to take on a challenge um and over time now has has learned the pictures of the league. You know, the league’s very patterned uh and predictable over time. That’s why like I think the veteran players look like they’re playing kind of a different game, but um you have to go through a progression to get to that point and he’s kind of on that track. But I think um the time the collaboration he’s had with Dort and uh Caruso specifically has been uh really cool to see because they all have different strengths. Um they learn from one another. But I think he’s benefited from being around those two guys because Lou and Alex are very different stylistically, but both are very impactful and uh you could see him taking some of that and applying it to his his deal. We saw um Ken Rick and Aaron doing some stuff. Anything you can share about their situation better or Yeah, they’re progressing. They’re doing well. I mean, we’ll do our reporting later on today, but all the guys that are out are progressing right now. Anybody else? Thank you, coach. All right. In store.

Hear from Chet Holmgren and Coach Daigneault following today’s practice in Oklahoma City.

0:00 Chet Holmgren
8:14 Coach Daigneault

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