When we're talking about young star talent, it’s hard to look past the Oklahoma City Thunder, which has the most impressive collection of ascending players the NBA has seen in a while.
Spearheading OKC’s rising crop of stars are Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, two players looking to evolve under the stewardship of superstar point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 23-year-old forward is entering Year 3 of his career, while the 22-year-old big man transitions to his sophomore season.
Is one in for a bigger leap than the other? Will both take a heaping step forward? There are numerous exciting implications for Oklahoma City, with each player aiming to capture some recognition in 2024.
First NBA All-Star nod for the star duo?
Post-NBA All-Star Weekend a season ago, Williams’ connection with Holmgren sharpened. No. 7 was the only player to average at least three shots per game off a “J-Dub” pass (3.7 FGA), with the next closest player shooting 2.8 times per game, and that was the recently departed Josh Giddey.
In 2023, Holmgren converted a fine 58.5% of his shots from 2-point range and 48.8% overall off a pass from Williams. Now imagine this duo on an elevated stage with the NBA world watching. According to Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report, that is a likely reality based on each player’s progression toward their first All-Star nod.
The writer recently penned a list of 10 players that are promising picks for next season’s February intermission, with both Thunder stars getting a piece of the pie.
“The larger sample of Williams' career suggests he's a do-it-all superstar in waiting.
And the wait is going to be over this season. Expect Williams to put up at least 20.0 points, 5.0 assists, and 5.0 rebounds while playing stellar defense for an OKC team that'll spend the season vying for the shortest championship odds. That'll be more than enough to give J-Dub a real shot at cracking a tough West All-Star roster,” writes Hughes.
On Holmgren: “Holmgren should see more than last year's 29.4 minutes per contest in 2024-25, and his in-season growth portends a statistical spike. We're talking about a 7-footer who can stretch the defense and protect the rim, which is uncommon enough. But Holmgren also showed the rare ability to hone other skills over the course of the year. For example, he went from coughing the ball up on drives all the time to excelling as a driver in traffic. Oklahoma City has a next-generation unicorn in Holmgren, one who could kick off a string of roughly 10 straight All-Star appearances this season.”
A win for the OKC
A trip to the All-Star Game from one of these two would be a major win; both making it would give the Thunder three All-Stars and unmatched firepower in today’s NBA. All superstars need a Robin, and Gilgeous-Alexander is waiting for someone on the OKC roster to get in the passenger seat.
Many times, the voting for the event is a popularity contest, which probably signals Chet as the better pick and not to dismiss that he is also positioned to run for Defensive Player of the Year, potentially giving him a leg up in the race with Williams. All-Star caliber play from both players next season will more than suffice for their team in the win column. However, Oklahoma City is destined to send two players to San Francisco in 2025.
Related: The Hall of Famer compares Caitlin Clark's Indiana to the OKC Thunder
Most Popular
Comments / 0