This 2025-26 iteration of the OKC Thunder may have taken a slight step back in the win-loss column compared to last season, but collectively, they're still just as dominant as their 68-win selves.
In fact, there's even a case to be made that they're even more frightening this year due, in large part, to the fact that franchise cornerstone, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has somehow found a way to get even better.
Since opening night way back in October, this has been a well-known fact among Thunder fans near and far.
However, now four months in, it appears Tim MacMahon is learning this truth for himself, as the ESPN reporter gushed over just how efficient the reigning MVP has been during a recent edition of the Hoop Collective Podcast.
"Interestingly on Shai -- Shai's obviously having an MVP caliber season --, he is statistically having a better season than he did last year... As a [31.8] point-per-game scoring guard, the efficiency is absolutely insane, and the three-point efficiency is way up. He's shooting 39.0 percent from three this year, which is up from last year," MacMahon said.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing better than MVP season
Through 49 games played this year, the regular counting stats are hovering right around where they were at the conclusion of 2024-25, as Gilgeous-Alexander is dropping similarly sensational averages of 31.8 points, 6.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and just shy of a block in 33.3 minutes per night (the second-fewest of his career).
However, as MacMahon highlighted, his efficiency has been on a completely different level.
While hoisting up the lowest field goal attempts per game since the 2021-22 campaign, the Thunder star is knocking down a league-leading number of average makes at 10.9 a night.
On top of this, Gilgeous-Alexander also finds himself ranking fourth among guards in field goal percentage inside the restricted area at 70.7 and second in field goal percentage in the paint at 56.5 among those in the league who have attempted over 150 shots in these respective areas.
With all of this in mind, it should truly come as no surprise that MacMahon admitted to voting SGA first on his latest MVP straw poll, nor should it be all that surprising to see him leading the charge in the betting odds to come home with the illustrious award yet again this year at minus-145.
Add all of this to the fact that his primary adversary in the race for the honor, Nikola Jokic, is only able to miss one more game before becoming officially ineligible (has already missed 16 and he must play a minimum of 65 games to qualify), and the choice for who's most likely to be crowned the league's most valuable talent seems to be rather easy to make.