Recap: OKC Thunder’s Tuesday practice (Nov. 7)

The Oklahoma City Thunder held practice on Tuesday following their 126-117 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

The win was highlighted by the return of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who missed one game with a knee sprain. He scored 30 points on 20 shots.

Following practice, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and starting center Chet Holmgren spoke with the media.

Daigneault talked about Gilgeous-Alexander’s willingness to sacrifice for the betterment of the team. In a similar vein, Holmgren discussed why he’s fine with not being the focal point of the offense.

Let’s recap what Daigneault and Holmgren had to say following Tuesday’s practice as the Thunder prepare to play the final game of a six-game homestand against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Josh Giddey shooting FTs pic.twitter.com/FKOSiUaQKm

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) November 7, 2023

Chet on the league-wide praise he’s received: “It’s a mixed basket of things. Obviously it’s cool to see your hard work being noticed but at the same time we got a lot of games coming up… I’m just trying to focus on getting better with the team.”

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) November 7, 2023

Chet on fitting in: “I was just trying to come in and find a balance between being aggressive and not making it the Chet show. It’s not that, it’ll never be that. It’s the OKC Thunder.”

Said the best way to build chemistry is to allow everybody to be aggressive

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) November 7, 2023

Chet on Cason Wallace: “I see a similar mindset between him and myself on what we’re doing. He’s coming in, he’s being aggressive but he’s making the right plays.”

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) November 7, 2023

Chet: “When you play with great players, trying to do too much yourself is only diminishing what they can do and vice versa.”

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) November 7, 2023

Mark Daigneault on Chet’s mindset: pic.twitter.com/v38poYxzxV

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) November 7, 2023

Mark Daigneault on SGA’s comments on playing within the flow:

“He wants to be part of the team. The more status you have in the NBA, there’s a gravitational pull away from the team… To stay inside the team when you have that type of gravitas is an intentional decision he makes”

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) November 7, 2023