ESPN talking head can’t wait to see J-Dub’s scintillating performance in Year 3

Entering only his third season in the NBA, star swingman Jalen Williams has repeatedly and relentlessly taken over late in games for the Oklahoma City Thunder, seating himself as the team's go-to scorer down the most crucial stretch of games.

At 23 years old, the forward has already earned a distinction as one of the top young shot-creators in the association, with his offensive ceiling still yet to be reached. As the NBA world inevitably watches Oklahoma City ascend into legitimate contender status, "J-Dub" aims to take the wheel as the most versatile scorer on the best team in basketball.

Ready for a superstar leap?

Williams made a leap from Year 1 to Year 2; it's just that many people were more occupied with watching the Thunder rattled off 57 wins, so they missed the star's five-point uptick in his scoring average. That big jump is jarring, even for the best players in the NBA.

Jalen was also one of the best clutch scorers in the league last season, netting 6.8 points per game in the fourth quarter, a number suitable for the top 10 among players. Putting that all together, ESPN's Tim MacMahon, who regularly appeared on "The Hoop Collective," interjected during a recent episode to praise the rising Williams.

"As far as guys who have a chance to make an offseason leap on that [Thunder] roster and [can be among] future max [contract] guys, I think Jalen Williams might be your better bet," said the analyst.

Perhaps the most significant contributor to his offensive production last season was the 3-point shot. Speaking of monumental jumps, how about going from roughly 35 percent from the perimeter to nearly 43 percent? Even more than his increased scoring output, Williams' rise as a fantastic outside shooter helped him ascend while opening up routine opportunities for point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to rack up a career-high 6.2 assists.

In the last five minutes of games with a difference of five or fewer points on the scoreboard, No. 8 was a fearless perimeter shooter, attempting 43.5 percent of his shots from outside and earning 37.5 percent of his points from that distance. Even with the game on the line, his assertiveness as a deep-range deadeye never wavered.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he is somewhere in the 22/23 point per game range this year," said MacMahon. "He is a guy who, I believe, is blossoming as a playmaker and scorer."

Playing on a team that is positioned to soak in the spotlight next season, Williams' game will be under the microscope the entire year. Still years from reaching his NBA prime, the expected high output for the 23-year-old in 2024 will only be the precursor to his future as a potential scoring champion candidate.

Related: ESPN analyst foresees incredible sophomore leap for Chet Holmgren