Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Radiates Efficiency During Thunder's Historic Start

Efficiency has been the name of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's career since he stepped on the NBA hardwood. The combination of being such a tough shot maker and elite driver towards the rim is the definition of an efficient basketball player.

After winning the Most Valuable Player award, leading the NBA in scoring with 32.7 points per game with a career-high 63.7% true shooting, it would have been hard to get much more efficient than that. Gilgeous-Alexander has miraculously improved in every way this season.

Scoring the basketball this season, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.8 points per game, while shooting 55.6% from the floor, 44.3% from three-point range and 88.1% from the free throw line. The field goal and three-point percentages are career-highs.

Another career-high is his 68.6% true shooting percentage, which is 4.9% higher than the mark he set in his MVP campaign. Gilgeous-Alexander has the seventh-highest true shooting in the league so far and the highest of all 30-point per game scorers.

Gilgeous-Alexander's efficiency is a crucial part of how he has scored 20 or more points in 95 consecutive regular-season outings. No matter the outcome, he tallies points at a constant rate.

During Friday's 132-11 win over the Dallas Mavericks, Gilgeous-Alexander's immaculate efficiency was on display. In just three quarters and 29 minutes of play, the Kentucky product scored 33 points on 10-of-12 shooting, 2-of-2 from three-point range and 11-of-12 from the charity stripe.

Getting to his spots the entire night, the all-around guard scored 17 points in the first half and added 16 points in the third quarter to help lead the shorthanded Thunder to their 22nd victory in 23 games. Gilgeous-Alexander tallied a 95.5% true shooting percentage as well, the highest single-game total of his NBA career.

Gilgeous-Alexander added five rebounds and six assists, as his playmaking continues to improve and impress throughout the season. He looks to be peaking even higher as an individual after winning almost everything a player could possibly win last season.

The Thunder have missed key players throughout the season at different times, but as long as Gilgeous-Alexander stays in the lineup, the team will continue to pick up victories. The guard's efficient play has helped power the team to the second-best 23-game start in NBA history; the Thunder are only behind the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who started unbeaten in their first 24 games of that season.

If Gilgeous-Alexander wants to win a back-to-back MVP award, keeping up this efficiency will do the trick.