It doesn't necessarily take a great basketball player to know a great basketball player, but if you have arguably the best basketball player alive singing your praises, you're clearly doing something right. That's the position that Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finds himself in after OKC went into Ball Arena and thoroughly outclassed the defending NBA champions in front of their home crowd.

In the Thunder's 119-93 victory over the Denver Nuggets, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's offensive repertoire was on full display. The All-NBA point guard scored 40 points on 14-for-20 shooting from the field and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. It was SGA's 5th 40-point game of the season and his fourth-straight game with at least 30 points on 55 percent shooting or better, and after the game, reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic had nothing but praise for the Thunder's MVP candidate.

I believe that what Nikola Jokic said is correct… Shai Gilgeous-Alexander probably doesn't care at all about his numbers. He certainly doesn't play like he does. But nonetheless, SGA's numbers are still eye-popping. Through nearly a third of the season, SGA is averaging 31.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and a league-leading 2.7 steals per game. And you better believe that if the Thunder continue to win at the rate they are right now — their 21-9 record is the 2nd-best mark in the brutal Western Conference — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's league MVP case will have a great deal of momentum by the time we get to April.

The Thunder are no one-man show, though. Flanked by Rookie of the Year and All-Defense candidate Chet Holmgren, 2nd-year budding star Jalen Williams, and a frisky supporting cast that runs pretty deep, Oklahoma City is likely more of a title contender than anyone realizes.