Doc Rivers makes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander admission amid Thunder star's rise
Yesterday at 11:19 PM
There was a time in the not-too-distant past when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a throw-in as part of one of the more consequential trades to hit the NBA transaction wire in recent memory.
At the time, SGA was considered a quality player for the Los Angeles Clippers, sure, with Doc Rivers coaching him to a quality role as a rookie coming out of Kentucky, but the real belle of the OKC Thunder’s ball was securing four first-round picks from LA for Paul George, who was coming to town alongside Kawhi Leonard.
Oh, what a difference four and a half years can make.
Despite his best efforts, PG’s run in LA ended unceremoniously, leaving for a four-year max contract with the Philadelphia 76ers after failing to get much going with Leonard and James Harden. And as for the Thunder with SGA? Well, they are widely considered the best team in the Western Conference and are favorites to make it to the finals this year against either the Boston Celtics or the Cleveland Cavaliers, depending on who you ask.
Discussing what he’s seen from SGA at the NBA level and whether or not he believes the decision to trade for George was the right one in LA, now-Milwaukee Bucks head coach Rivers broke it down, letting reporters know that no one saw things turning out this way when the deal was struck.
“I don't think anybody in the world saw this in (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander),” Rivers explained via The AP. “We did think he was going to be really, really good. I thought he was going to be a star. I said it when we traded him. But to see this, I don't think anyone can honestly say they knew he was going to be this special.”
Alright, to Rivers’ credit, he is correct on that front, as SGA was considered a good young addition to the Thunder but hardly the sort of franchise-changer the Clippers thought they were trading for not away. Still, the way things shook out certainly changed the NBA forever, as the Thunder were where the Clippers are now with PG on their roster and now look like a certified dynasty in the making, just waiting to be crowned.
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