ESPN NBA Insiders List Jalen Williams as OKC Thunder's 'Young Riser'

Jalen Williams was recently regarded as the Oklahoma City Thunder's best young up-and-comer, according to ESPN insiders.

Dec 23, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) moves the ball around Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Jalen Williams, the third-year forward out of Santa Clara, has again improved in his third year as an OKC Thunder.

The 6-foot-6, 23-year old has stamped his name as one of the younger guys in the league to carve out a greatly impactful role on one of the league's premier teams this season. As a near 22-point-per-game scorer, he's made leaps in the point, rebound and assist categories in year three.

ESPN insiders recently recognized the feats he's accomplished already and the potential in what he could accomplish down the line, naming him as a "young riser" for Oklahoma City and listing the Thunder as no. 3 in this week's power rankings.

"Chet Holmgren's ascension has been put on pause because of his fractured pelvis, but fellow 2022 lottery pick Jalen Williams' star rise has continued," ESPN insider Tim MacMahon said.

"The 23-year-old wing is averaging career highs in scoring (21.6 points per game), rebounds (5.9), assists (5.0), steals (1.8) and blocks (0.8) to build a case for the West's best team getting a second All-Star selection alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander."

As MacMahon noted, Williams is certainly crafting a case to be considered an All-Star just under 30 games into the season. In 2022-23, Williams garnered under 4,000 All-Star votes. That catapulted in 2023-24, as his second-year leap saw him with 231,520 votes---coming in 15th in the Western Conference frontcourt.

With his improvements this season in Oklahoma City's 23 wins and five losses while the team sits in first in the West, he could very well accompany Gilgeous-Alexander in this year's All-Star festivities. The last time the Thunder had two All-Star selections was Paul George and Russell Westbrook in the 2018-19 season.

As Williams navigates the rest of the season, he'll be a prime factor in the overall success and fight for a title shot for Oklahoma City.

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