Mark Daigneault admits the Oklahoma City Thunder are learning amid recent slump
Mark Daigneault isn’t pretending everything is fine in Oklahoma City. As the Thunder navigate a rare stretch of uneven play, the head coach has acknowledged what is obvious to anyone watching: this is still a young contender learning in real time what it means to win when the league has fully locked in on you.
For much of the season, Oklahoma City has looked like one of the NBA’s most organized and modern outfits, built around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s methodical scoring, Jalen Williams’ versatility, and Chet Holmgren’s two-way impact. The recent slump, however, has exposed the growing pains that often get masked when shots are falling and the schedule breaks kindly.
Daigneault’s admission that his group is “learning” is less an alarm bell and more a reminder of context. The Thunder are operating near the top of the Western Conference hierarchy with a core that, in most organizations, would still be framed as “a couple years away.” Opponents are adjusting coverages on Gilgeous-Alexander, testing Holmgren’s physicality, and forcing role players to beat them. Oklahoma City, in turn, is being pushed to add counters, tighten late-game execution, and manage the emotional swings of a long season.
Around the league, this is what the next step for an emerging power often looks like. Denver, Boston, and Milwaukee have all gone through similar stretches in recent years, where regular-season adversity became a laboratory for playoff habits. The Thunder are now in that phase, trying to balance experimentation with the urgency of a crowded West.
For Daigneault, the challenge is as much psychological as tactical. Keeping a young locker room grounded, reinforcing process over results, and maintaining trust in their identity are central tasks. If Oklahoma City can translate this slump into better decision-making, more resilient defense, and sharper half-court offense, it may ultimately serve as the stretch they point back to as the moment they stopped being a surprise and started becoming a fixture among true contenders.
For much of the season, Oklahoma City has looked like one of the NBA’s most organized and modern outfits, built around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s methodical scoring, Jalen Williams’ versatility, and Chet Holmgren’s two-way impact. The recent slump, however, has exposed the growing pains that often get masked when shots are falling and the schedule breaks kindly.
Daigneault’s admission that his group is “learning” is less an alarm bell and more a reminder of context. The Thunder are operating near the top of the Western Conference hierarchy with a core that, in most organizations, would still be framed as “a couple years away.” Opponents are adjusting coverages on Gilgeous-Alexander, testing Holmgren’s physicality, and forcing role players to beat them. Oklahoma City, in turn, is being pushed to add counters, tighten late-game execution, and manage the emotional swings of a long season.
Around the league, this is what the next step for an emerging power often looks like. Denver, Boston, and Milwaukee have all gone through similar stretches in recent years, where regular-season adversity became a laboratory for playoff habits. The Thunder are now in that phase, trying to balance experimentation with the urgency of a crowded West.
For Daigneault, the challenge is as much psychological as tactical. Keeping a young locker room grounded, reinforcing process over results, and maintaining trust in their identity are central tasks. If Oklahoma City can translate this slump into better decision-making, more resilient defense, and sharper half-court offense, it may ultimately serve as the stretch they point back to as the moment they stopped being a surprise and started becoming a fixture among true contenders.
