Before the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Game 2 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Daigneault addressed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s runner-up finish for the 2023-24 MVP award.
The 25-year-old finished a distinct second behind three-time winner Nikola Jokic, who won the award by a landslide. This marks back-to-back top-five MVP finishes for Gilgeous-Alexander.
Daigneault said while he had hoped his franchise player won the prestigious award, falling short of it doesn’t discredit his ascension over the last two seasons as one of the best players in the league.
“I was really rooting for him. … I don’t think individual awards validate anything in terms of the work that’s been done with any of our players,” Daigneault said. “It doesn’t change the fact he had a great two-end season, great regular season, unprecedented numbers and impact he has had on our team not only this season but over the course of this build. You can’t even measure.
“An award wouldn’t change any of those things those things all exist and stand on their own two feet.”
Gilgeous-Alexander and Daigneault headline the Thunder’s dominant season as they captured the first seed. The duo has been linked since their tenures started, and they form one of the best coach-star duos in the league.
