Bill Simmons makes wild Thunder-Brandin Podziemski take

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is favored to win his second straight MVP Award, and he will also be favored to win his second straight NBA Finals MVP Award when the playoffs begin. If the superstar guard validates those odds, he could become the consensus best player in the world today. Despite all the praise Gilgeous -Alexander is receiving and will likely receive in the future, the narrative will still be heavily tied to the collective greatness of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Bill Simmons and Tim Legler believe OKC is so deep and well-balanced that the team could win 50-plus games without its top guy. In his podcast for “The Ringer,” Simmons conducted an exercise in which he swapped MVP candidates with solid players and then speculated on what the squad’s new record would be. While keeping all other factors the same — injuries, in-season acquisitions — the longtime sports writer and media personality argued that the Thunder could still go 53-29 if Gilgeous-Alexander was replaced with Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors.

Legler, a former NBA 3-point specialist and current color commentator for ESPN, actually gave OKC a couple of more Ws than Simmons did. The roster would still boast two All-Stars in Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, other ascending young talent like Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace and Jared McCain and a plethora of defensive pests. Podziemski is averaging 13.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest while also shooting 37.1 percent from 3-point range. The playoffs should be attainable.

But 50-plus victories is hard to fathom based on the rules Simmons laid out.