Photo: Peter Baba

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault acknowledged that injuries played a role in the team’s postseason run, particularly the absences of Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, but he also praised the group’s ability to remain competitive despite those setbacks.

Speaking after the season, Daigneault admitted that losing key players reduced Oklahoma City’s overall potential, though he believes the team’s consistency throughout the year demonstrated the strength of its foundation.

“Missing (Williams) impacts your ceiling. Missing Ajay Mitchell impacts your ceiling. But we’ve been able to maintain a really high floor. I’m proud of that.”

The Thunder coach pointed to the team’s resilience as one of the biggest positives from the campaign, noting that Oklahoma City continued to perform at a high level even while dealing with injuries.

Looking ahead, Daigneault expressed optimism about the future, especially when it comes to Williams, who battled multiple health issues over the past year.

“That’s a huge accomplishment for the season, and it will pay dividends moving forward and will pay dividends for us this year. … I’m excited about a healthy Jalen Williams. I’m excited about a healthy team and what that can look like moving forward.”

Daigneault added that helping Williams return to full strength will be a major focus during the offseason after what he described as a difficult year for the young star.

“So that becomes the priority especially with him. It was a tough year for him, and we need to do everything we can to get him in full form, and he does too.”

Thunder Notes: SGA, J-Dub, Mitchell, Wallace, More https://t.co/iHltFivgh5