The Oklahoma City Thunder rattled off a historic 2023-24 season, winning 57 games and securing the top spot in the Western Conference. However, things would have been entirely different without the stunning rise of a few young stars.
The Thunder showcased their incredible depth and the number of weapons at each position. Among the ascending stars from a season ago was Jalen Williams, the team’s 23-year-old swingman, vying to take over as his squad’s go-to shotmaker down the stretch of games.
“J-Dub” smashed expectations in 2023, just like the Thunder squad. He’ll need to make a major step up the ladder and firmly seat himself as one of the league’s top rising stars. Is he up for the challenge?
The big question for OKC
Williams was brilliant last season. He netted 19.1 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game on efficient shooting splits, especially from the perimeter, where No. 8 converted at an elite 42.7%.
While several factors — including a higher usage and assist rate — led to his breakthrough as a sophomore, his remarkable jump as a 3-point shooter accelerated his production and put him on the radar among the association’s top players. But the question is, can he capitalize on the season he just had in the 2024-25 campaign?
In a recent Bleacher Report article, writer Grant Hughes offered one “big question” for each NBA team entering this year’s training camp. Although there is much for the Bricktown boys to be excited about as this year starts up, there is always a critical area for a team that can make the difference between a title-winning season and an underwhelming one.
“After scoring via assists on 41.6 percent of his twos and 90.4 percent of his threes as a rookie, J-Dub cut those rates to 40.4 percent and 74.8 percent, respectively, in his second season. That growth must accelerate, and Williams has to show more facility as an isolation threat if the Thunder are going to hit their offensive apex. If it feels harsh to nitpick a player who just racked up 19.1 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds on 62.1 percent true shooting, understand that scrutiny of Williams is a compliment. His excellence to this point creates the expectation that even more growth—perhaps into the realm of superstardom—is possible. Ahead of his third year, J-Dub is one of the biggest x-factors in the league,” Hughes wrote .
Jalen overcame the dreaded “sophomore slump” that plagues many second-year players. Instead of drowning after an elite rookie campaign, he transitioned into Year 2 like his only choice was to make incremental improvements in his all-around game. The next step for the 23-year-old is to earn an NBA All-Star nod.
The turning point for many young players is often that first trip to All-Star Weekend, allowing them to understand that their minimum expectation is to produce elite numbers on a routine yearly basis. At his age, Williams is still a few years away from the prime of his NBA career, which is a great thing. At his pace, he’ll challenge for the best small forward in the league soon enough.
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