Ahead of Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Pacers on Monday, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said he’s been impressed with how the 2024 first-round pick has handled what is essentially a redshirt season. “In terms of what he’s doing right now, he’s still X amount of time post-op,” Daigneault said. “He’s still return-to-performance. I don’t think he’s the player right now that he will be in training camp. “The thing that’s most impressive about him to see is he’s incredibly young, he’s stateside for the first time, in the NBA for the first time, coming off a long-term injury and he’s been unbelievably consistent and mature and professional in his approach. When you watch somebody go through that, you can learn a lot about them.” -via Oklahoman / June 18, 2025
