Poku's final game for OKC and 2 other takeaways from Thunder's dominant win

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for MVP

It might be time to realistically consider Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to be this season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). 

Playing without a co-star in Jalen Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander saw the defense focused on stopping him. They tried, but nothing was stopping him last night. 

Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 31 points in 30 minutes of action. He shot an efficient 11-of-15 from the court and 8-for-10 from the charity stripe. He aided that with nine assists, three rebounds, five steals, and three blocks. 

Simply put, Gilgeous-Alexander was dominant on both ends of the floor for the Thunder. 

It was the 37th 30-point game of Gilgeous-Alexander this season. He leads the league in this category while having the most steals (2.3 per game). His greatness has been undeniable, hence his All-Star starter nomination. 

But with the injury of then-MVP leader Joel Embiid, it might be high time for people in the league to see Gilgeous-Alexander as a very realistic candidate for the coveted plum. 

He is third in NBA.com’s Player Impact Estimate metric and records 66 percent true shooting across the season, an impressive mark relative to his third-highest season usage rate. 

Factoring all these along with the Thunder’s winning record, Gilgeous-Alexander deserves to be looked at. 

We are now at a point where people may realize that Gilgeous-Alexander now has a realistic shot at it.