Mark Daigneault must prioritize development over results, forcing depth pieces into high-pressure scenarios to identify who can anchor the rotation when the Western Conference title is looming.
The Oklahoma City Thunder should enter the preseason completely willing to lose games. That sounds strange for a championship contender attempting to reestablish itself after a disappointing postseason ending, but exhibition victories would accomplish almost nothing for this team. Oklahoma City already knows Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren can produce winning basketball. The preseason should be used to discover who can function when those stars are unavailable.
Oklahoma City has five preseason games and opened training camp with 21 players. That creates a rare opportunity for Mark Daigneault to manufacture uncomfortable situations for the players still defining their roles. Jared McCain should be asked to control late possessions instead of merely spotting up beside Gilgeous-Alexander. Nikola Topić should run the offense through mistakes. Aday Mara should defend experienced centers without receiving immediate help every time he gets placed in a difficult matchup.
Those experiments could cost Oklahoma City games, and that would be perfectly acceptable. The Thunder would learn more from watching a young lineup protect a two-point lead than from allowing their established stars to overwhelm an opponent’s reserves. Daigneault should resist correcting every problem with Caruso, Holmgren or Gilgeous-Alexander. Let the younger players feel the pressure, make the wrong read and explain afterward what they should have seen.
The same approach would protect Oklahoma City’s most valuable players. Jalen Williams is returning after an injury-disrupted season, while Holmgren has absorbed significant physical punishment during his young career. Neither needs heavy exhibition minutes to prove readiness. Gilgeous-Alexander certainly does not need to chase preseason statistics after winning consecutive MVP awards. Their most productive contribution might involve helping teammates from the sideline.
This strategy would also reveal which players can remain useful when their shots are not falling. Cason Wallace has already established his defensive value, but McCain, Topić, Bennett Stirtz and the other young guards must show they can influence games without scoring. Mara’s development should be measured through positioning, communication and physical response rather than points. Those lessons are easier to identify when the scoreboard is not controlling every coaching decision.
Winning habits still matter, even in October. However, winning habits are not always created by winning meaningless games. Sometimes they develop when young players are allowed to struggle, adjust and attempt the same responsibility again.
The Thunder should treat every preseason loss as acceptable if it produces an answer needed in May. Oklahoma City’s goal is not to become the preseason champion. It is to build a rotation capable of becoming the NBA champion.
