Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault is embracing his team's upcoming showdown against MVP candidate Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers. With 60 regular-season wins under his belt, Daigneault is gearing up for the postseason. After the Thunder beat the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City will have its hands full against the Lakers.
Playing their best basketball of the season, Doncic and the Lakers have rattled off 14 wins in 15 games, including victories against the New York Knicks, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Denver Nuggets, and two against the Houston Rockets.
For Daigneault, Thursday's matchup against the Lakers is the kind of showdown the Thunder need ahead of the playoffs.
“Obviously, top-end talent, Doncic, Reaves, James; those guys are a handful. They're all really, really good players that present a lot of dilemmas,” Daigneault said. “And they've found a nice blend of doing it together, which enhances those dilemmas. There's a reason they've played as well as they have, and it's a great challenge for us. As we come down the stretch of the season, there's not a guarantee that you're able to get tested in these ways.
“But that's how you figure out where you're at, and it's how you get accurate and relevant feedback. And hopefully, that's how you get better. And we want to try to get better through all 82 games if we can. And a game like this, and an opponent like this, helps us do that.”
Mark Daigneault addresses the Thunder hate
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault addressed the hate that comes with success, which is no different for the defending champions. The quick turn from title contenders to the NBA's next potential dynasty happened in the blink of an eye for the Thunder.
Perhaps it's why some fans are eager to see which team can dethrone the team favored to win back-to-back titles. Still, Daigneault says the energy is par for the course as defending champions.
“What I'd say is we have had consistent success for a few years now, including the championship last year. If you look at the history of the NBA, there [are] things that come with the territory of that,” Daigneault said. “I'll say first, we're fortunate to have that success, and there's an element of whatever you want to call it — good fortune/luck — that goes into that success that we are benefiting from, and it's a privilege.”
Amid the Thunder's consecutive 60+ win regular season, the latest challenge awaits within Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and the Lakers on Thursday.
