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OKLAHOMA CITY — In a regular season where the Oklahoma City Thunder finished with a 24-58 record, head coach Mark Daigneault saw glimmers of hope. All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and All-Defensive guard Lu Dort are the only remaining starters from the 2021-22 squad, and Kenrich Williams and Aaron Wiggins, a rookie at the time, still come off the bench for Daigneault. Still, so much has changed as the Thunder are the favorites entering the NBA Finals.
After winning 22 and 24 games in back-to-back seasons, the Thunder finished with 40 wins in 2022-23, then finished with the best record in the Western Conference with a 57-25 mark last season, to a franchise-record 68 wins this year. During NBA Finals Media Day, Daigneault reflected on those early years that set the stage for his first NBA Finals appearance.
“There were very early flickers even in those early years. Those were challenging years at different times. Certainly, they looked like challenging years on paper,” Daigneault said. “How it felt every day wasn’t a reflection of our record or our standing in the league; you could feel that something was starting to simmer. You could feel that some of the seeds we were planting were going to be flowering at some point. There were very early indications of that, even in those seasons.
“So, we were confident even back then. Not necessarily that we’d be in the Finals right now. You never know the timing of when things come together. But we were confident that we were building something special and something that had the ability to sustain,” Daigneault concluded.
For Daigneault and the Thunder, the early habits translated into wins, which built confidence both individually and as a team.
“Then, as time went on, there were just more and more experiences that gave us more confidence in that, but that belief existed at the earliest point in time,” Daigneault added. “A lot of that had to do with the way the guys were approaching every day, independent of the outcome of the games.”
Mark Daigneault on when he knew the Thunder were building a title contender:
“There were very early flickers even in those early years… You could feel that some of the seeds we were planting were going to be flowering… we were confident that we were building something special” pic.twitter.com/kfr2IhB5W0
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) June 4, 2025
Now, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault is in the NBA Finals.
Chet Holmgren’s 17 winners Thunder take before NBA Finals
Thunder forward Chet Holmgren says his team’s confidence resonates throughout all of his teammates. It’s what’s led to a successful season, where the Thunder are four wins away from an NBA title.
“The biggest thing is playing for each other. It’s the type of guys that we have here,” Holmgren said. “Everybody’s going to tell you that they’re a winner, and everybody is a winner until it’s inconvenient for them. I feel like we have a team with 17 winners that are going to put winning at the top.”
The Thunder will host the Pacers in Game 1.
