Head coach Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder have led the Western Conference standings for most of the 2024-25 campaign. After jumping out to an 8-2 start, the Thunder lost Chet Holmgren to a pelvic injury ten games into the regular season. Still, it didn't stop Oklahoma City from going 11-3 in his absence while reaching the NBA Cup semifinals against the Houston Rockets in Las Vegas.

During Media Day, a reporter asked Daigneault if the Thunder had met his regular-season expectations thus far, and the Thunder head coach responded interestingly.

“I don't really have any expectations, and we still have 70-something percent of the season remaining,” Daigneault said. “We're still in the mode of trying to grow as a team. You don't want to be a finished product in December. You want to be a growing team that's building momentum through the experiences of the season. And the only way to do that is to focus on improving. So, regardless of where our record lands us right now, it doesn't count for anything in December.”

Mark Daigneault reacts to regular-season expectations for Thunder

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault addresses the media in a press conference during practice prior to the Emirates NBA Cup semi-finals at T-Mobile Arena
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images 

Thunder forward Jalen Williams is in his third NBA season. He recently reminded everyone that despite his ascension to what should be his first All-Star campaign thus far, Williams is still growing as a young NBA star. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault sent a similar reminder regarding his entire team.

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Outside of 30-year-old veterans Kenrich Williams and Alex Caruso, the Thunder's core consists of players between the ages of 21 and 26. All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on the oldest end of that age group. Williams, the team's second-leading scorer, is only 23. While it's encouraging to see the Thunder essentially lead the Western Conference all season, Daigneault prioritizes players' growth over winning regular-season games.

“We're trying to build ourselves. We're trying to strengthen our muscles throughout the course of the season. We're bumping up against different challenges that we're having to overcome,” Daigneault said. “We're having to solve different puzzles. Players are changing, growing, and evolving because we have young players still. It's critical that we see them as unfinished products that are constantly improving. So, we're really trying to stay focused on that regardless of where that lands us in the standings or what the outcome of any game is.

“And, we just continue to bet on that and hope and trust that that'll land us in the most fully actualized version of our team that we can get to this season and in seasons in the future,” Daigneault concluded.

The Thunder will face the Rockets in the NBA Cup semifinal round on Saturday in Las Vegas.