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As the Oklahoma City Thunder look to win the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers, the team will still have its hands full as their Eastern Conference opponent has had an impressive playoff run. While Thunder's Mark Daigneault has shown respect to fellow head coach Rick Carlisle, he would also shout out the entire team for what they have done, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Indiana has shown throughout the past few seasons the fast pace they play, which overwhelmed teams in the playoff run like the Milwaukee Bucks, the East's No. 1 seed in the Cleveland Cavaliers, and recently with the New York Knicks. Daigneault would speak about how they're like a “99 mph fastball” about baseball, according to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel.
“They're a tall task,” Daigneault said. “The fundamentals are not complicated, we aren't inventing anything this week. They pump a 99 mph fastball at you, and you can prepare all you want for that, but when you're in the batter's box, it's different when it's time to hit. It's going to be a very tall challenge.”
The main star behind their offense is no doubt star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who Daigneault spoke highly about on Monday.
“He’s pretty unique. There’s guys similar to him, but he’s pretty unique,” Daigneault said via the team's YouTube page. “The transition catalyst that he is is definitely unique. He does a great job of activating his teammates in transition with pace and advanced passing. He’s a dynamic pick-and-roll player that can make every pick-and-roll pass. He generates great pace in the pick-and-roll game, which puts teams behind the ball against him. And he can score.”
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Thunder's Mark Daigneault speaks highly about Tyrese Haliburton
Subsequently, the Thunder head coach spoke more about Haliburton's impact and how he attributes a lot of facets in the Pacers' offense, which has been this playoff run. While Haliburton's passing has been talked about heavily, it's his “threat as a scorer” that Daigneault spoke about.
“Because he activates his team so much, I think the passing gets a lot of shine, but it’s created by his threat as a scorer, and his gravity as a scorer,” Daigneault said. “If you didn’t have to honor him as a scorer, he wouldn’t be as effective as a passer, or he wouldn’t have the same opportunities to create. There’s a reason they are where they are. There’s a reason he’s where he is. We have great respect for them, certainly for them, and they’re a tall task to try to handle on both ends of the floor.”
Consequently, Game 1 of the NBA Finals between Oklahoma City and Indiana will take place on Thursday night.
