Thunder’s Jalen Williams: A Crucial Piece to the Puzzle
Jalen Williams, standing at an impressive 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 96 kilograms, boasts a significant wingspan of 219 centimeters. His physical attributes allow him to seamlessly transition between four positions on both offense and defense, alongside teammates such as 6-foot-8 Josh Giddey and 6-foot-6 Gilgeous-Alexander. Without a doubt, Williams is a valuable addition to the Thunder’s rebuilding team.
In the 2023-24 NBA season, foreign media sports website ranked Jalen Williams as the 24th best young player under the age of 25, solidifying his rising status in the league.
Like Puzzle Pieces Falling Into Place
When assembling a puzzle, one typically starts with the corner pieces. These corner pieces not only help shape the overall structure but also establish the relationship between other puzzle pieces. In the context of the NBA, star players become those corner pieces – rare, exceptional talents capable of driving a team’s success.
However, Jalen Williams may not possess the same “straight edge” qualities like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, who are crucial pieces of the Thunder’s puzzle. Williams’ value lies in his role as the pivotal connector. Much like a serendipitous discovery, he not only fills the missing gaps but also connects the previously assembled pieces.
Selected as the 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Jalen Williams exceeded expectations in his rookie season. Starting in 62 games, he showcased his versatility, averaging 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. With a true shooting percentage of 60.1%, Williams displayed shooting prowess both inside and outside the arc, making him a threat in various offensive situations.
Williams’ physical attributes, combined with his ability to seamlessly move between positions, make him an undeniable asset for the Thunder’s rebuilding efforts. Alongside teammates Josh Giddey and Gilgeous-Alexander, who possess impressive heights of 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-6 respectively, Williams can effectively contribute to both the offense and defense.
Unlocking the Thunder’s Potential
With the addition of Chet Holmgren as the team’s center, supported by a well-rounded lineup of shooters and an offensive creator, the Thunder can unlock various lineup combinations. One notable configuration involves Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander, both equipped with wingspans over 200 centimeters, playing alongside Ousmane Dieng, Jaylin Williams, and Holmgren. This results in an imposing “Pterodactyl” lineup that can dominate opponents.
While Williams already possesses an impressive skill set, there is still untapped potential waiting to be explored. Improving his three-point shooting percentage, which currently stands at 37.8% for open shots and 33.3% for jump shots, is a goal for the upcoming season. Additionally, Williams continues to refine his dribbling skills, change of pace, and court vision, enabling him to handle defenders at a higher level.
Fortunately for Williams, the Thunder’s ongoing team-building efforts have provided him with better players to complement his abilities. Head coach Mark Daigneault can now strategically utilize the team’s weapons to exploit opposing teams. As the roster continues to grow and develop, Williams’ role becomes increasingly crucial, aligning perfectly with the Thunder’s aspirations of reaching the playoffs and eventually contending for a championship.
Jalen Williams may not be the star player on the team, but his versatility and unique skill set make him an invaluable asset. As the puzzle pieces fall into place, Williams proves himself as a vital connector, serving as an integral part of the Thunder’s roster.
Williams is 6 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 96 kilograms, and has a wingspan of 219 centimeters. Teammates, including 6-foot-8 Josh Giddey and 6-foot-6 Gilgeous-Alexander, allow him to easily move between four positions on offense and defense. This trait makes him undoubtedly an addition good for the rebuilding team. an integral part…
Jalen William was ranked 24th on the leading list of the NBA’s top 25 young players under the age of 25 (25 under 25) in the 2023-24 season by the foreign media sports website.
When almost everyone puts a puzzle together, they look for the corner pieces first, because they may be the rarest pieces in the box, but they are also the easiest to identify. the two straight edges establish their position, begin to shape the structure of the whole puzzle and determine the relationship between the other puzzle pieces and them.
In the NBA team building puzzle, those side puzzles are star players, these rare players are good enough to build a team around, and their characteristics are outstanding enough to be required to be placed in the base position.
This metaphor of puzzle and reconstruction may not be true in some specific cases, but from the Thunder’s point of view, it is quite an appropriate expression. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a piece of the puzzle, and so is Chet Holmgren, but Jalen Williams is not, and he doesn’t have those straight edges.
But Williams is the most important connector, that bit of serendipitous discovery and realization that not only do you know where it should be, but that it connects the pieces you had previously put together separately.
Jalen Williams is one of the Thunder’s most important pieces.
The Thunder selected Williams with the 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft, which is a happy fate for a player whose draft stock is rising. He was considered a capable high floor prospect at the time, but not exactly a high ceiling game changer.
Williams was 21 years old when he entered the draft, he came from a smaller school, he was already a junior, and his athletic ability was not outstanding. However, his advantage in being selected is his flexibility, both in terms of physical fitness and skills.
That year, the Thunder selected Chet Holmgren with the second pick, and were fortunate enough to select Williams, who was relatively safe.
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You probably already know the rest of the story.
Williams made a splash in his rookie season, serving as a starter in 62 games, averaging 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game, with a true shooting percentage of 60.1%. He can shoot open 3s, still run in transition, and knows how to break in open space with a USG% under 20 (offensive standard where finishing duties are shared among the five players).
He has also shown the ability to increase his importance when the situation calls for it. His scoring efficiency when picking and rolling is 61% in the league, and his scoring efficiency on his own is as high as 81 %. He may not be a high-level, high-volume creator like James Harden, but he has shown some talent as a secondary creator, which should make the Thunder more capable if they make the playoffs.
Williams is 6 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 96 kilograms, and has a wingspan of 219 centimeters. Teammates, including 6-foot-8 Josh Giddey and 6-foot-6 Gilgeous-Alexander, allow him to easily move between four positions on offense and defense. This trait makes him undoubtedly an addition good for the rebuilding team. part.
With Chet Holmgren in position five, along with four shooters and an offensive creator among them, not only did the Thunder unlock the 5 line out, but Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander, who has a wingspan of more than 200 centimeters, were surrounded by Ousmane Dieng, Jaylin Williams and Holmgren Unlock the extra large “Pterodactyl” line.
On a roster full of players with every skill set and size, Williams has what it takes to fill in the gaps for everyone else.
In addition to the above, he has more potential that can be developed in the game, including improving his three-point shooting percentage. His open shot shooting rate of 37.8% and jump shot shooting rate of 33.3% last season are theoretical possible and should be improved this season. The season has improved.
He’s still learning how to use the tools he has — whether it’s his dribbling skills, his change of pace or his vision — to be able to face defenders at this level, and that will help as he continues to gain experience.
Perhaps the biggest advantage for Williams is the structure that Thunder continues to build, and now that he has better players around him, he will naturally play more easily. As the players around him grow, head coach Mark Daigneault is better able to use the weapons at his disposal to take advantage and defeat opponents.
Williams may not be a star player, but he is a versatile magic weapon. If the Thunder can make better use of him to solve some difficult and complex problems, it will be beneficial to the Thunder’s goal of reaching the playoffs this season and competing for the championship in the future. , will undoubtedly be just as important as the rest of the core on the roster.
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