Thunder’s Jalen Williams Continues To Rise As A Top Rookie

In the short history of the Thunder since the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City, there’s been multiple future Hall of Famers that have come through the system. Furthermore, some of those players were even drafted by the Thunder and played their rookie seasons in OKC.

Even with the rich history of grassroots talent the Thunder have put together over the past decade and a half, another elite rookie is currently emerging.

Jalen Williams, the No. 12 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, is beginning to really make a name for himself. A player that’s been underrated his entire life but continues to develop and improve at a rapid pace, he’s a rare talent at the NBA level.

What makes Williams so special is his versatility on both ends. With roster shakeups and injuries throughout the season for the Thunder, he’s legitimately played all five positions on the court at an extremely high level and has established himself as an every night starter. As he’s been given the opportunity to play everything from point guard to center, it’s been a great way to develop different aspects of his game.

As the season has gone on, the growth of Williams has been astonishing. He was an impactful player as early as opening night, but now has taken things to a whole new level.

On many night’s this season he’s been the team’s second-best player. More recently, he even got the chance to prove he can be the best player on an NBA floor with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missing time. While the Thunder’s face of the franchise missed several games, Williams had the opportunity to play more aggressively as a primary scoring option. He thrived in this role while showcasing his upside as a 20-point scorer and lead facilitator.

What’s more impressive is what the 21-year-old was able to do upon the return of Gilgeous-Alexander. In a Sunday night showdown against the Utah Jazz, Williams maintained the same level of aggressiveness with Gilgeous-Alexander in the lineup and produced a career-high 32 points.

Not only did his scoring outburst lead to the win, but he also notched five assists and five rebounds as well. This made Williams the first Thunder rookie with a 30/5/5 game since Russell Westbrook.

Following this career high in scoring, Williams now leads all Western Conference rookies in scoring at 13.3 points per contest as his case for NBA All-Rookie First Team continues to solidify.

Since the All-Star break, the Thunder rookie has put up the best numbers of any player in this class. In these six games, he’s averaged 21.3 points, 4.9 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals per contest. He’s also shooting 58.8% from the floor, including 50% from beyond the arc. During this span, he’s led all rookies in points, assists and steals per game.

While it’s great to see Williams have such a dominant stretch, his body of work over the entire season is beginning to shape up very nicely. During this rookie campaign, he’s fourth in points, fourth in assists and ninth in rebounds (second among guards) in this class. This has translated directly to an impact on winning, as he’s second in win shares and sixth in box plus/minus among rookies.

The offensive numbers pop with the scoring and passing, but Williams has also been incredible on defense.

He’s on track to become just the ninth rookie in the past 10 years to notch 100 steals. He’s the leader in his class in that statistical category to this point. He’s also first in blocks among guards by a wide margin. Williams leverages his 7-foot-2 wingspan to be disruptive on that end and often takes on the opposing team’s best scorer, whether it be a guard or forward.

It’s unlikely Williams will overtake Paolo Banchero for NBA Rookie of the Year at this point, but at the rate he’s going there’s a real chance he finishes second in voting behind him. This is a great rookie class, which speaks volumes to how impressive he has been.