Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's struggles explained by head coach Mark Daigneault
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's struggles explained by head coach Mark Daigneault originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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As the back-to-back MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has extremely high standards when it comes to his performances. After Game 5, he was a bit disappointed about how he performed because he thought he had not had a good game in the 2026 Western Conference Finals.
The Oklahoma City Thunder star has been solid, as he is still scoring and leading his team to victory. However, he has not been at his best, which is why the San Antonio Spurs have forced a do-or-die Game 7 on Saturday. Shai is struggling, and head coach Mark Daigneault also knows about that.
Mark Daigneault explains the context behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's struggles
It has been an interesting series for SGA because he has had some magnificent performances. However, he has had some stinkers as well, including the latest one in Game 6. He had his lowest-scoring game of the series, as he only got 15 points.
Being defended by the likes of Stephon Castle and Carter Bryant is a nightmare for any player, including Gilgeous-Alexander. Now, Daigneault will need to make adjustments to his system because he will need SGA to play much better in a do-or-die Game 7.
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Gilgeous-Alexander himself is not a fan of how he has been playing as of late. He will be motivated to step up in Game 7, which he has done over and over again in the past, including the 2025 NBA Playoffs run that included two high-stakes Game 7s.
"I was pretty encouraged last game with the cracks we were able to get him. I don't think we were able to do that as well tonight. I'll never discredit the defense and the opponent; there's always that. There are things we can do better. It's similar after Game 4; it's just our global approach relative to San Antonio's didn't give us the best chance offensively," Daigneault said after the loss in Game 6 to the Spurs.
It is a tough pill to swallow for some, but SGA is struggling. He might still have some good numbers, but he has admitted that he is not having the best series. Thankfully, he has one more opportunity to prove himself, and that is the biggest game of the year so far.
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