With 19.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists on average on the team with the best record in the West last year, Jalen Williams grows very quickly within the very promising young Thunder squad.
At the start of his third NBA season, the explosive Oklahoma City winger should still see his range of responsibilities extended alongside his backline sidekick, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. A traction that should propel the Thunder to the heights this year!
“Guys like him and Shai, who play a lot, who get a lot of minutes, their development becomes very nuanced pretty quickly, and it's probably gotten to that point,” says Mark Daigneault in The Oklahoman. “Mainly because he was so complete so early in the season. But I would like to see him shoot more 3-pointers. Given his success but also how he can drive, if he can shoot more from 3-point range and force defenses to play him higher, it will create even more space for his dribble starts. »
Competitive training
Going from 35% to 43% at 3-points between his rookie season and his sophomore season, Jalen Williams actually proved that he could take his chances more behind the arc. Which would be beneficial for him, on his “drives” as Mark Daigneault pointed out, but also more generally for his team, by further distancing the opposing defenses to leave more space for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who remains on his side a average outdoor shooter.
“We have to let the efficiency percentages speak to know if we can take on more. When a player is efficient, it’s a sign that we can ask more of him,” adds Mark Daigneault. “We can raise the requirement slider. »
With only 3.4 attempts per 3-point game last season, Jalen Williams can draw more… and why not go for his first All-Star Game cap?
“It's difficult to score points in training, I can tell you that! »he concludes, during training camp. “We have fives who are very difficult to maneuver, against Shai, Chet, Hartenstein or Lu… All the guys you don't want to cross are opposite and that pushes our attack to play hard and play the right way. It's one of those things that will help us in the future, when we play in the regular season. »
| Jalen Williams | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | OKC | 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 | OKC | 71 | 31 | 54.0 | 42.7 | 81.4 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 19.1 |
| Total | 146 | 31 | 53.2 | 39.5 | 81.3 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 16.5 | |
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.
