NBA Notes: Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kings, draft, Mavericks

Thunder

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t looked quite like himself against San Antonio.

The reigning back-to-back MVP has struggled at times against the Spurs’ defense and is also missing shots he typically converts. According to Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman, Gilgeous-Alexander is shooting just 37 percent on open looks in the series after making 55 percent of those shots during the regular season.

“I’m not too sure, to be honest,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “A lot of the shots that I’m shooting, I’ve shot plenty of times before, and they feel good. They’re just not going in.”

Despite Oklahoma City’s lopsided Game 6 loss, Gilgeous-Alexander remains confident heading into Saturday’s Game 7.

“It’s too late to abandon my work, my game and who I am this late in the season,” he said. “I’ve got to trust it and live or die by it.”

Kings

Arkansas guard Darius Acuff continues to be linked to Sacramento at No. 7 overall.

According to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, some within the Kings organization are “enamored” with Acuff’s offensive upside despite questions about his defense.

While scouts remain divided on that side of the ball, Sacramento reportedly has decision-makers who believe Acuff’s defensive concerns are being overstated.

If he’s still available when the Kings are on the clock, he could be difficult to pass up.

Mavericks

Don’t expect Dallas to draft strictly for need.

General manager Mike Schmitz said the Mavericks are focused on finding impact talent with the ninth overall pick rather than targeting a specific position.

“It’s about just finding a difference maker at 9,” Schmitz told the Dallas Morning News’ Mike Curtis.

Dallas owns picks No. 9, No. 30 and No. 48 and appears confident it can find meaningful contributors throughout the draft.

“We’re really, really excited about the level of player that we can get there,” Schmitz said.

With Cooper Flagg already in place as the franchise cornerstone, the Mavericks are now looking for the next piece to add around him.