Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s teammates knew he would be special after the first offseason spent together.
As the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, Oklahoma City has received much more media attention this season than in years past. The team has played on national television a handful of teams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in contention for the MVP, Chet Holmgren for Rookie of the Year, and Mark Daigneault is the odds-on favorite to win Coach of the Year. People know this team and its stars.
It didn’t always use to be like that though. Gilgeous-Alexander was putting up stats on a rebuilding team while nobody paid attention. The back-to-back lottery seasons were great for development, but nobody knew just how good this team could be — and Gilgeous-Alexander in particular.
His teammates saw him every day in practice and the potential was clear. Darius Bazley, who was with the Thunder through the rebuild, knew he would be special.
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