Daigneault cites – Mark Daigneault admitted Oklahoma City corrected two things after Victor Wembanyama’s dominant Game 1 performance, pointing to how sustainable the Spurs star’s rim scoring felt and to the discomfort of playing Isaiah Hartenstein 12 times in the rotation as Okl
Oklahoma City entered Game 2 knowing what Victor Wembanyama did in Game 1 was hard to ignore. The Spurs’ 7-foot-4 sensation was able to get “pretty much whatever he wanted,” and Mark Daigneault didn’t pretend otherwise when he talked through what changed.
The Thunder did manage to slow Wembanyama down in Game 2. Oklahoma held him under 30 points, with Wemby finishing third on his team with 21 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks. The series was tied 1-1 after that result—but Daigneault wasn’t satisfied with the way the matchup played out.
“There were two things that just didn’t feel good,” the Oklahoma City head coach said. First, he pointed to what Wembanyama was doing at the rim.
Daigneault described it as something that didn’t feel stable enough for the Thunder to be comfortable with. even with the improvements. “His stuff at the rim just felt too sustainable. ” he said. adding that the Spurs star’s shot-making on the whole looked dangerous in a way Oklahoma couldn’t keep allowing. Daigneault also noted that Wembanyama “ended up 101 points in regulation. ” and that the Spurs “actually shot pretty well. ” even if the Thunder felt they could live with the type of shots they wanted—other than “his stuff at the rim.”.
Then came the second red flag: the decision to start Isaiah Hartenstein in a matchup against Wembanyama.
“It doesn’t feel good is playing (Hartenstein) 12 of this. ” Daigneault said. explaining that it wasn’t the move that initially felt best to him. But he connected it directly to the bigger picture of how long you can keep that matchup under control. “But in order to get him extended past that, that’s a matchup. And so we decided to start with it,” Daigneault said.
Daigneault also described why personnel and coverage patterns still matter. He said that in the regular season. “having Wigs on him was effective in the macro. ” but in Game 1. the Spurs star saw looks that were “just had Wigs. and much of it was restricted.” The difference. Daigneault suggested. was what happened when you zoom out—turnovers and the damage that followed.
The Thunder’s goal isn’t just one win. Daigneault made that clear as he talked about securing the next step after Game 2.
“At the end of the day. when playing against one of the very best teams in basketball. a win is a win. ” he said. “But the Thunder don’t only need one win. they need four. so identifying where things can get better is a crucial part of securing win No. 2 and beyond, starting on Friday in San Antonio.”.
He added that the Thunder plan to keep using “Wigs” in the defensive plan as the series continues, saying they’ll have him matched with Wembanyama “a couple of sessions tonight.”
The message from Daigneault was straightforward: even with Game 2 improvements—21 points. 17 rebounds and four blocks. with Wembanyama held under 30—the Thunder know exactly what worried them. Sustainable rim pressure was the first issue. The second was how they had to weigh comfort against matchup needs. even if it wasn’t the move that initially felt good. Now the series turns toward Friday in San Antonio. where Oklahoma will try to make those corrections hold up for a full game. not just a single adjustment.
Oklahoma City Thunder Mark Daigneault Victor Wembanyama Isaiah Hartenstein Game 2 San Antonio Spurs NBA playoffs