SGA's unfathomable streak, Embiid's value, Luka's late MVP push

Welcome to From The Logo, a collection of opinions, analysis, and locker room insights from theScore's lead NBA reporter, Joseph Casciaro.

SGA is awe-inspiring

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's record-setting streak of 127 straight 20-point games is one of the most impressive things we'll ever see accomplished on an NBA court, considering it took 63 years for someone to break Wilt Chamberlain's former record (126 consecutive games).

When it comes to scoring, Gilgeous-Alexander has become inevitable. He gets to the rim at will and is a strong finisher inside. He's shooting over 38% from deep. Much to the chagrin of his critics, his craftiness and mastery in changing speed makes him elite at drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line, where he's a roughly 90% shooter. Most impressive of all, the majority of Gilgeous-Alexander's field-goal attempts come from the least efficient area of the floor, with 52% of his shots coming from mid-range. And yet, the reigning MVP is shooting an outrageous 60.5% from 2-point range while flirting with the most efficient 30 points per game season in league history.

Gilgeous-Alexander can get OKC easy points at the rim and charity stripe, but what makes him special is that he can create and make the toughest shots - the kind elite postseason defenses give up in crunch time - as well as anyone. He's on pace to become just the fourth player ever (after Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and Michael Jordan) and the first player in the 21st century to average 30-plus points in four consecutive seasons.

For good measure, Gilgeous-Alexander is also averaging a career-high 6.6 assists per game and a 3.1 assist-to-turnover ratio while continuing to play sharp defense for the league's best defensive team. We haven't seen a guard this complete since His Airness.

McCain deal already stinging Sixers

If you've tuned in to watch Gilgeous-Alexander's greatness lately, chances are you've also witnessed Jared McCain hit some big shots for the Thunder. Since arriving in Oklahoma City at the trade deadline, McCain is averaging 11.2 points on 46/42/91 shooting splits in 19 minutes off the bench. The sophomore guard has his limitations, but he's a quality scoring reserve capable of providing instant offense. You know which team could use some of that scoring punch right now? The depleted 76ers, who traded McCain after the guard's wretched start to the season.

In fairness to Philadelphia, the team did acquire a late 2026 first-round draft pick (via Houston) and a trio of second-rounders, but I doubt Sixers fans care much about those assets right now, or that they believe general manager Daryl Morey's assertion that he sold high on McCain.

McCain also seems to be fitting in well with the defending champs. Following a recent win in Toronto, he and guard Nikola Topic were engaged in playful banter with some of the team's veterans about whether McCain and Topic - 2024 draftees who've played only 75 games and five games, respectively - still qualify for rookie duties (such as getting their teammates coffee).

Should Philly trade Embiid?

This question comes from reader Owen Nagel, who emailed to ask whether the 76ers would be better off trading Embiid or keeping the former MVP.

Embiid's value is complicated by his injury history and the roughly $188.2 million remaining on his contract over the next three years, including a $67.4-million player option in 2028-29 (his age-34 season). In a perfect world, the Sixers would keep Embiid and pair him with the backcourt combo of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Even in a diminished state, Embiid can still provide stellar two-way play behind those younger stars, giving Philly legitimate contending upside. That much has been evident this season. He's averaging roughly 27 points, eight rebounds, and a block in 31 minutes per game, and he really seemed to be getting his legs back under him a couple months ago.

However, the oft-injured big man has only appeared in 33 games and is currently sidelined by an oblique injury. Embiid hasn't even cracked the 40-game mark in three years, and I don't see a 31-year-old giant with a history of knee and foot issues suddenly getting healthier in the back half of his career. From that standpoint, the most prudent thing to do would be to move the franchise icon for a package of picks and youngsters who can grow with and supplement Maxey and Edgecombe. Unfortunately, even that's easier said than done, as teams aren't likely to sell the farm for a fading star who can't stay on the court, especially in the age of aprons.

It's quite the conundrum. The Sixers would be best off with a healthy Embiid, but the reality of the situation suggests they'd be better without him. Whether by choice or by default, they may have to let him play out the remainder of his contract, clinging to the few weeks here and there when he's healthy enough to remind the world who he once was.

Player of the week

Luka Doncic: 40.3 PPG, 66.9% TS, 9.5 RPG, 7.3 APG, 3.5 STL + BLK, 4-0 record

With all due respect to Gilgeous-Alexander, Bam Adebayo, Victor Wembanyama, Kawhi Leonard, and Devin Booker, Doncic is the easy choice for this week's award (taking into account games played since last Friday). It says something that one of the runners-up had the second-greatest scoring game in NBA history and Doncic still managed to produce better numbers across the board in a seven-day sample. SGA should be the consensus MVP this season, but with Nikola Jokic being a couple absences away from disqualification, Doncic is making a late push to leapfrog Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham, and Jaylen Brown for second place. Doncic's hot streak has also helped lift the Lakers to third place in the tight Western Conference.

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