The defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, were eliminated in seven games from the Western Conference Finals last night following a 103-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 35-point night was not enough to carry the Thunder’s offense at home.
Tonight, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spoke to the media in his end-of-season interview and added to his comments from after the game, where he credited the Spurs’ defense for keeping the pressure up on him and successfully guarding him in a lot of situations throughout the seven-game series.
He also indirectly mentioned Victor Wembanyama and claimed it was not impossible to score on the Spurs’ defense in his presence on the floor.
“Yeah, they’re obviously a really good defense. With a guy in their backline that’s a little bit different from everyone else’s. They funnel everything to him, and then he takes up a lot of space, which is pretty unique. A lot of teams can’t really do that,” said Gilgeous-Alexander while referring to Victor Wembanyama.
“I just think it’s a really good defense, and it’s not impossible to score on, but I just think it’s very different, and it’s very different from every other team in the league. So, it’s like it takes some getting used to and it takes some adjusting to, and yeah, they’re a really good defense, and it’s a little bit different to figure out.”
Going into the offseason, Gilgeous-Alexander was asked to explain if his plans differ in any way from what he did last season after winning a championship.
“I have a few more weeks on my hands, but that’s about it. Nothing else will really change. Like I said, I’ll regardless, I’ll watch the games that I struggled in, why I struggled, and figure out ways to be better, just like I did last year,” he said.
Subsequently, a reporter followed up with a question about whether this loss to the Spurs would influence his offseason plans.
“Yeah, it’s the bigger picture. But I mean, it’s no secret that the team had success guarding me. So yeah, a lot of those games will be watched to figure out how I can improve. For sure,” Gilgeous-Alexander said as he conceded that the loss to the Spurs will help him make necessary adjustments to his game in the offseason.
The Spurs successfully managed to do something that made Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring efficiency take a nearly 20% hit from where it was before.
From a player who was averaging 29.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 51.4% from the field and 32.3% from the three-point line in the playoffs, before this series, the Spurs successfully managed to be a thorn in his side throughout, forcing him to rethink decisions he usually takes smoothly without hesitation.
He ended the series averaging 25.9 points, 8.9 assists, and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 40.9% from the field and 28.6% from the three-point line, which was not typically characteristic of the reigning MVP.
While the Spurs are now headed to the NBA Finals, the Thunder begin preparation for their offseason. Do you think this Spurs-sized chip on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s shoulder will push him to come back stronger next season? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
