Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addresses OKC's Spurs problem: 'No secret [they] had success'

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

Talking to the media about half an hour after a season-ending loss, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could hear the San Antonio Spurs roam around the Paycom Center hallways celebrating and cheering. They earned the right to do so as the Oklahoma City Thunder fell short in a Game 7 loss in the 2026 Western Conference Finals.

Now, the Thunder must go back to the drawing board. As the NBA's best team and reigning champion, they had their crown snatched by Victor Wembanyama and company. The entire summer will be about how OKC can avoid these same mistakes in the future.

Struggling to generate offense, the Thunder couldn't depend on the Gilgeous-Alexander and friends formula to get one last win. Instead, the two-time MVP's Superman heroics of 35 points and nine assists weren't enough in the do-or-die scenario. Jalen Williams was physically absent while Chet Holmgren might as well have been, too.

You're not going to beat the Spurs when two of your three All-NBA players give you nothing. And while Gilgeous-Alexander left it all on the floor in Game 7, it would've been nice for him to play like this earlier in the series. He averaged an awful 25.9 points on 40.9% shooting and 8.9 assists in seven games in their series — quite the drop-off from his usual 30 points on efficient shooting.

Pundits and fans everywhere expect the Thunder and Spurs to meet up at this stage in the future. They were the NBA's two best teams all year as 60-plus-win machines. And considering the runway and youth throughout their rosters, this is just the first of presumably several chapters.

If the Thunder hope to enjoy revenge in the future, Gilgeous-Alexander has to be better from the jump. You don't go 4-8 against a team in 12 combined matchups in the regular season and playoffs by accident. The 27-year-old will go back to the lab to figure out a prognosis.

"It's bigger picture, but it's no secret the team had success," Gilgeous-Alexander said about the Spurs. "We'll watch those games to figure out how to improve."

Not even 24 hours since their back-to-back championship hopes were shattered, emotions were pretty high at exit interviews. One Thunder player after the other were left dumbfounded at how the Spurs figured them out from the jump. Even though the series went the distance, it never felt like OKC was in firm control at any point.

Let's see if things change in the future. If the Thunder want to correct these mistakes, it starts at the top. Simply put, OKC's two All-NBA guys didn't play like All-NBA guys on a consistent enough basis against San Antonio. That eventually led to their downfall.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addresses OKC's Spurs problem after playoff exit

Continue reading...