Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the Spurs:
“They’re young, talented, well-coached, play the right way, play together, seems like they like each other. They have the make-up, for sure. You don’t beat us without the make-up.”
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SGA
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shared his reaction after the San Antonio Spurs beat them in Game 7 on Saturday night.
The NBA Western Conference Finals came down to a Game 7 heavyweight match between the defending champion Thunder and the upstart Spurs. In the end, it was the Spurs who emerged victorious with a 111-103 victory on the road. The Spurs now face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, which begin on Wednesday, June 3, at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
Speaking to reporters after the Thunder lost in Game 7, the two-time NBA MVP SGA shared his reaction to losing to San Antonio.
“They’re young, talented, well-coached, play the right way, play together, seems like they like each other. They have the make-up, for sure. You don’t beat us without the make-up,” SGA told reporters.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the Spurs:
“They’re young, talented, well-coached, play the right way, play together, seems like they like each other. They have the make-up, for sure. You don’t beat us without the make-up.”
Reporters also asked SGA if he plans on speaking to Thunder GM Sam Presti about any offseason moves. According to Gilgeous-Alexander, he is going to take a hands-off approach to roster construction and let his GM do the job on his own without any input from the team’s leader.
“I will give zero input. I will let Sam Presti, the greatest GM ever, do his job,” SGA said.
Shai-Gilgeous Alexander on if he will weigh in on Thunder offseason decisions:
“I will give zero input. I will let Sam Presti, the greatest GM ever, do his job.”
– Holmgren, J-Dub max extensions kick in next year – Team options on Hartenstein ($28.5M), Dort ($18.2M), Wallace
As the tweet from Underdog NBA notes, the Thunder have several key decisions to make this offseason surrounding many of their top players.
With Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams both seeing their max-contract extensions kicking in for next year, the team will be forced to likely move on from several of its depth pieces unless the team’s owner is willing to go deep into the second apron and pay record-setting luxury tax penalties.
Players like Isaiah Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort, who were both key pieces to Oklahoma City winning the NBA Championship last season, have pricey team options attached to them. They are both great players and the Thunder would ideally likely to keep them around, but based on their price tags and where the Thunder are in regard to the aprons and luxury tax, it might not be possible.
The team also has to see what other sorts of upgrades they can make, for as good as the Thunder are, they still lost to the Spurs. So, this isn’t a perfect team, and they need to get better.
The good news is that the Thunder have tons of draft picks in their war chest, so they can essentially trade for anyone they want who is available on the trade block.
You will likely see calls for the Thunder to acquire Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason. Given the Thunder have many draft picks to play with, plus potentially moving out either Holmgren or Williams to match salaries, they are a realistic landing spot for the former NBA MVP.
It will certainly be a fascinating offseason in Oklahoma City, as Presti is going to have to work his magic once again to keep the Thunder in title contention for next season and beyond.
Adam Martin Adam Martin is a sports journalist with over 15 years of experience. He has a speciality in MMA, while also covering the Big 4 Sports. Adam is currently a contributor to Heavy.com, with previous experience working for The Toronto Star, Sportsnet, theScore, Bookies, BJPenn.com, and MMAOddsbreaker.com. More about Adam Martin
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