The fifth spot was another tough choice. Jalen Brunson is the beating heart of a Knicks offense that has been a force this season and he could well be No. 5 on my board, but the defensive concerns and credit for that offense also going to Karl-Anthony Towns bumped Brunson down one spot in my book to sixth. By the end of the season, this may flip.

As the Thunder expand their win streak to 15 games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's NBA MVP resume grows even larger.

It seems safe to say his days of anonymity are over. In three years, Williams has gone from an unheralded prospect to the second-most important player on a championship heavyweight. That brings a

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a minus-odds favorite to win NBA MVP despite Nikola Jokić's outstanding numbers so far this season.

Gilgeous-Alexander saw the matchup as a possible NBA Finals preview. He wanted to see how the red-hot Thunder would square off against the reigning NBA champions. To be the best, you have to beat the best. That's what OKC did in its 105-92 win over the Celtics where it limited them to a season-low 27-point second half.

When Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe went through a brief slump, All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander knew the turnaround was inevitable. Gilgeous-Alexander said Joe was ‘too good’ to stay in a slump for long after scoring a season-high 31 points in a 126-101 victory against the New York Knicks.