In the shadow of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, with whom he is now called upon to form a most formidable “Big Three”, Jalen Williams gradually established itself as one of the most important elements of Thunder. So much so that, when he is not there, his team does not present the same face and this was seen last Tuesday, in the defeat against the Pacers.
Obviously, since “J-Dub” was back in action last night against the Mavs, the players ofOklahoma City were able to once again measure its importance in the collective, during this forceps victory.
“ He was himself. He did [hier] evening what he has all season for us » judged For example Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderafter the match 27 points, 5 assists and 3 blocks from his teammate.
Fan of big end of matches
In this case, when Jalen Williams is “ himself “, this is particularly when it proves valuable at the end of the meeting. Against Dallas, he scored 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter alone (played in full, moreover). He who, over the season, displays an average of 7.1 points in the last act (at 57% on the shoot, including 55% at 3-points), doing better than the 6.6 units of a certain “SGA” over the same period.
Accustomed to being decisive in key moments, the 12th choice of the 2022 Draft therefore took great pleasure in finishing off the Mavs, both in the paint and at mid-distance. A boss performance, or some would even say an All-Star, to deliver OKAY leading the Western Conference…
“ When you grow up watching basketball, this is what you watch » explained the person concerned, regarding his performance in the final minutes. “ You see the biggest stars pull off these kinds of actions. This is the position every player wants to be in. For me, it's just more exciting to be able to find myself in those positions. These are the moments we all live for. »
A communicative energy
Aggressive as possible when he plays, and on each side of the floor, Jalen Williams is the energy and toughness asset of this young Thunder team, which continues to surprise this season. A prospect that, in Oklahoma City, enchants Mark Daigneault, never disappointed by what his almost 23-year-old winger shows in this area. What does his responsibilities matter and what does the moment of the match matter…
“ It comes from how hard he plays, it's as simple as that » confided the Oklahoma City coach, regarding this very contagious energy, for the other players or for the public. “ It's interesting to see players who can play a lot of minutes, because it can lower their effort and energy levels over the course of a long season. And when you have more of the ball, it can eat into your effort and energy levels, it's human nature. Except that he, while he deserved to have more of the ball in hand, his energy, his defense, his efforts and his intensity have not diminished in any way. »
| Jalen Williams | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | OKAY | 75 | 30 | 52.1 | 35.6 | 81.2 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 14.1 |
| 2023-24 | OKAY | 58 | 32 | 53.9 | 44.7 | 81.7 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 19.0 |
| Total | 133 | 31 | 53.0 | 40.0 | 81.4 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 16.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
