u/LiamHundley

Full Quote: "As he's evaluating the player, Sam's really imagining that he's looking at them on the team," Daigneault says. "It's like method acting. He really goes deep. He's really trying to evaluate what the guy would be like walking around our building. One time we were discussing a player, and he said to me, 'All the guys are standing there watching film before practice, and I'm just imagining him standing there with them, and I just don't see him fitting in.' And that was it."

Chet Holmgren added: "I found out he wasn't paying any attention to anything having to do with basketball," Holmgren says. "I was still a kid, and I knew how I acted mattered for my future and where I wanted to be, but I didn't realize it had that level of impact. Now I know he was doing his Mr. Miyagi mind-reading routine on me. And apparently, I passed the test, so I'll just keep being myself."

Source:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/\_/id/48751531/oklaho ma-city-thunder-roll-western-conference-finals-nba -playoffs-2026

[Highlight] Spurs off-ball defense on Shai in the fourth quarter of Game 2

[Highlight] Caruso catches on the short roll and lobs it up to Chet

[Highlight] SGA sets up Chet Holmgren for the monster slam

[Highlight] SGA shakes Carter Bryant and drills the mid range jumper

[Highlight] Dylan Harper clears out space down low for the finish

[Highlight] Wemby draws the early foul

[Keown] Mark Daigneault on Sam Presti's evaluation process: "One time we were discussing a player, and he said to me, 'All the guys are standing there watching film before practice, and I'm just imagining him standing there with them, and I just don't see him fitting in.' And that was it."

[Highlight] Reaves gets a really good look at a potential game tying three but cannot hit. Caruso secures the board and is fouled

[Highlight] SGA puts the moves on Rui and drills the stepback three

[Highlight] SGA draws a crowd and finds Caruso under the basket, who kicks to a relocating McCain for 3 to tie the game

[Highlight] Austin Reaves catches SGA with his hands in the cookie jar

{Highlight] Reaves finds Jaxon Hayes for the emphatic alley oop, SGA answers with a mid range bucket over Kennard. Lebron responds with a logo three to cut the OKC lead to 5

[Highlight] SGA gets the midrange jumper to fall with Marcus Smart draped all over him

[Highlight] Austin Reaves gets to the line

[Highlight] Alex Caruso picks off the entry pass from Reaves and SGA leads the break to set up a Chet Holmgren dunk

[Highlight] Ajay Mitchell finds Alex Caruso for three on consecutive possessions, followed by an Ajay Mitchell pick-6 to force a Lakers timeout as the Thunder start the 2nd quarter on an 8-0 run

[Highlight] Replays of Lebron blocking Isaiah Hartenstein

[Highlight] SGA puts Luke Kennard in the spin cycle

[Highlight] Austin Reaves with the shifty handle and finish at the rim over Jaylin Williams

[Highlight] SGA splits through 2 and hits the floater to end a 9-0 Lakers run