Could Jalen Williams Notch First All-Star Nod Next Season?

Oklahoma City’s third-year forward has high hopes for continued improvement.

May 18, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) dunks during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in game six of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City took a massive leap a season ago, going from a fun young story to a legitimate championship contender. That’s one of the hardest leaps to take in the NBA, as a handful of teams with potential can’t get over the hump. The Thunder cruised to the No. 1 seed and swept the Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs, but couldn’t outlast Dallas to move on. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been playing at the highest level for three years now, but this was the first time the Thunder rose to contention. A big part of that rise was Jalen Williams stepping up to be SGA’s No. 2 option. A sophomore slump seemed inevitable after his wildly efficient first season in Oklahoma City, but the exact opposite took place. Williams continued his otherworldly efficiency will taking on a larger role on the offensive end. His volume increased and his percentages rose.

In his second NBA season, Williams averaged 19.1 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds. He shot 54% from the floor and 42.7% from the 3-point line. He was the Thunder’s tough shot taker and a go-to guy on the second unit when Gilgeous-Alexander took a rest.

Throughout the course of his first two NBA seasons, all Williams has done is get better. Similar to Gilgeous-Alexander, he has used to offseason to make serious improvements. There’s two full seasons of data that tell us Williams is only getting better, it would be foolish to think that process is coming to a halt any time soon.

In his exit interview with the media, he mentioned picking different parts of his craft to hone in on during the offseason, and while he didn’t give away any secrets, he seemed excited about gearing up for next season. Will his additions be enough to make an All-Star leap?

He’s a dark horse candidate, and there’s certainly a chance. Especially considering how much chemistry Williams and Chet Holmgren developed throughout the season. Williams turned into a dynamic pick-and-roll player and learned how to excel with a ball screen. He threw lobs to Holmgren and used picks to get straight to the rim. Next season, he’ll continue building that chemistry with Holmgren but will also have the services of Isaiah Hartenstein at his disposal. Hartenstein is one of the best screeners in the game and will open up even more for Williams.

He has a loaded conference of talented players to battle for a spot, but as Oklahoma City receives more national attention, so will J-Dub. There’s a chance next year is the year that Williams makes the All-Star jump.

---

Want to join the discussion? LikeThunder on SIon Facebook andfollow us on Twitterto stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can alsomeet the teambehind the coverage.