The Oklahoma City Thunder are still trying to figure out what went wrong after their Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. In that series, the Thunder didn't get nearly enough help from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's supporting cast, and the MVP himself also struggled to play like it on multiple occasions.
One major storyline in this series involved Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, who was caught on camera instructing his teammates to commit hard fouls on Thunder guard Jared McCain down the stretch of a blowout Game 5.
Now, Thunder general manager Sam Presti has responded to those allegations.
“You didn’t hear us complain. We just want to know the rules and we will play by the rules,” he said, per Rylan Stiles of Locked on Thunder on X, formerly Twitter.
Article Continues Below
While some fans were initially skeptical of the “hit” claim, a slowed-down camera angle did appear to show Wembanyama instructing teammates Mason Plumlee and Bismack Biyombo to commit hard fouls on McCain, which both ended up doing.
It wasn't the first controversial moment for Wembanyama in these playoffs, as the star also dished out a vicious elbow to Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid in the prior round, earning himself an ejection in the process and leading some to wonder why he wasn't suspended.
However, it appears the Thunder are focused on taking care of whatever is in their control. This offseason, many will encourage Presti to make a drastic move, such as trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but for the time being, Oklahoma City seems content to make smaller moves on the margins in order to bolster what is already the best team in the NBA when fully healthy.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are still trying to figure out what went wrong after their Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. In that series, the Thunder didn't get nearly enough help from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's supporting cast, and the MVP himself also struggled to play like it on multiple occasions.