Thunder HC Mark Daigneault Speaks on Forcing Pelicans to 'Pivot' Rotation

Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas has seen declining minutes against the Thunder in the first round.

Apr 21, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (17) / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder has a 3-0 series lead over the New Orleans Pelicans in the first-round matchup. In building the lead -- which seems to have ended the series -- the team has spun plenty of narratives in their favor after plenty of discourse heading into the series.

One reason media personalities were opening the idea up that the Thunder could be a No. 1 seed to fall to the No. 8-seeded Pelicans was the lack of experience and physicality. It's hard to imagine the lack of experience has gotten to the youngest No. 1 seed in NBA history as they're on the brink of sweeping the Pelicans.

Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas might have had an eye-popping stat line in Game 1, totaling 13 points and 20 minutes in 29 minutes played. It was a close victory for the Thunder, winning 94-92.

The Thunder's defense did enough to negate the impact Valanciunas provided, and they even began to play him off the floor in Game 2, where he played just 23 minutes, scoring 19 points and adding seven rebounds.

With the Thunder's five-out offense that has the ball moving around the floor, Valanciunas played just 12 minutes in Game 3, with Larry Nance being the Pelicans primary center when they didn't play small-ball. The Thunder is forcing Willie Green and the Pelicans to make big adjustments.

"It's just a matter of forcing the opponent to pivot. They've forced us to pivot at different times this series. There's a push-pull with that," Daigneault said on Sunday. "Whatever they choose to do, we gotta be able to attack it and adapt to it."

The "lack of physicality" media members are referring to is being negated by the Thunder's versatility, which is out-weighing center play and forcing their opponent into a smaller style of play.

The Thunder has since debunked two of the biggest factors that were supposed to work against them, and they seem like they're going to cruise to a first-round victory after making the Pelicans change their approach entirely in the series.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.