OKLAHOMA CITY — Last month, as Thunder players returned to the team practice facility, what Mark Daigneault saw made him smile. “Everyone was in shape,” says Daigneault. While Oklahoma City’s roster isn’t filled with Jersey Shore–level partiers—recall the most subdued championship celebration in NBA history last June—Thunder officials wondered if there would be a reconditioning period after a short offseason. Within days, they had the answer.
“That gave me the biggest sense of comfort,” says Daigneault. “That’s something you can’t fake. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but that’s the one tangible thing that I’m like, ‘You know what? That’s a good sign.’ ”
