Q&A: Mark Daigneault on narrow loss, Cason Wallace’s growth and Jared McCain’s debut
Q: It felt like a game that could have gone either way. What were the critical factors in the outcome?
Mark Daigneault:
“I thought we played the game really hard, which was positive. We attacked the game on both ends of the floor and played the right way. We were competitive and we were together. It came down to a couple of plays — they made a couple more plays than us. In a possession game like that, some execution on both ends just wasn’t clean enough. But it wasn’t due to a lack of wanting it or togetherness.”
Q: What did you make of Cason Wallace taking on more playmaking and ball-handling responsibility?
Daigneault:
“I thought he had a really good game tonight. He’s had a nice stretch offensively the last couple of weeks, and the defense is always there. When he’s that kind of offensive threat and brings the defense he brings, he’s a complete player. He guarded different guys — even Durant for a stretch — and did a really good job. He’s on a really good trajectory right now.”
Q: Houston attempted 43 three-pointers. Is that a math decision teams make against you defensively?
Daigneault:
“I think teams take what the defense gives them. We’re a paint-protection team and typically give up a decent volume of threes. We try to make sure they’re contested and funneled the right way. Tonight, we also played some smaller lineups, which forces more aggressive help. You can’t take everything away. For the most part, defensively, we were okay.”
Q: What did you think of Jared McCain’s first action with the team?
Daigneault:
“It was good. He hasn’t been here for more than 48 hours, which is a really tough spot. I thought he did a really good job blending into the team and the game. He was confident and aggressive, but not inappropriately so. He looked like he belonged out there.”
Q: After building a 15-point lead in the second quarter, the offense stalled. What changed?
Daigneault:
“It’s hard to generalize. There were times we moved them around in the half court and got good looks. They’re a really good team, so you have to stay with the game through lulls — whether it’s shot-making or the opponent doing a good job. They converted on our turnovers, and that hurt us.”
Q: With several key players out, did turnovers reflect guys being asked to do more than usual?
Daigneault:
“It’s obviously a different group than we’re used to playing with, but we had enough to win the game. That was a winnable game for us. The loss wasn’t because of who we were missing. Houston outplayed us by a couple of possessions.”
Q: What stood out about the Isaiah Joe–Cason Wallace–Alex Caruso–Isaiah Hartenstein–Chet Holmgren lineup?
Daigneault:
“I thought the double-big look with Hart and Chet was really effective against that team — especially with how they offensive rebound and play at the rim. Hart was a great hub for us offensively. He was physical, on the glass, and executed well. Those minutes with him and Chet together were really encouraging.”
Q: How has Cason handled the expanded role without Shai and others available?
Daigneault:
“We’d obviously like to be fully healthy, but when we’re not, we try to squeeze everything we can out of the circumstances. This isn’t permanent. We’re hoping the investments we’re making now help us when we’re fully whole. Even if you don’t win every game, you can still salvage positive things — and some of what Cason is doing offensively right now is part of that.”