Thunder aren’t building their team just to beat the Spurs

The Spurs ended the Thunder’s season. They’re not going to consume their offseason, too.

Oklahoma City lost Game 7 of the Western Conference finals to San Antonio after also losing the regular-season series. But coach Mark Daigneault says the Thunder aren’t redesigning themselves specifically to solve Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.

There’s a fairly obvious reason.

“We don’t play San Antonio 82 times,” Daigneault said, via Baxter Holmes of ESPN⁠.

Daigneault said Oklahoma City’s offseason process remained the same as always. The Thunder studied what worked, what didn’t, what needs to be added and what needs to disappear.

That obviously includes what happened against San Antonio. It just isn’t only about San Antonio.

“We need to make sure that what we are doing is broad enough that it gives us a chance to be competitive across opponents,” Daigneault said.

Chet Holmgren had some particularly rough moments against Wembanyama, including a four-point performance in Game 7. He said the disappointment didn’t change his offseason approach, either. Different emotions. Same process.

There’s no pretending San Antonio isn’t standing directly in Oklahoma City’s path.

The Thunder just don’t intend to spend the entire season staring at them.