Jalen Williams Details Confidence Ahead of Second Year

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams is just one of the many reasons the team is projected to do so well.

The Oklahoma City Thunder is bringing hype into the new NBA season. A year ago, they took a 16-win jump from 24 wins to 40 wins. Now, the team is expected to exceed that win total and continue climbing. 

A big reason the Thunder is expected to continue climbing the NBA ladder is because of the amount of young talent the team has. A year ago, the team had hype when bringing in Chet Holmgren. Then he got hurt and missed the entire season. This helped highlight the emergence of Jalen Williams.

Williams was picked No. 12 a year ago and showed signs of a start in the making throughout his rookie season. Now, he's expected to make a jump and have a bigger impact on winning during his second season.

Having his rookie year behind him and another offseason full of work, Williams is more confident heading into year two, as he mentioned during a media scrum after practice on Tuesday. 

"I think over the summer, the work I put in makes you more confident," Williams said. "Also just knowing what I'm doing a little bit more than just running out there and running around like last year."

Heading into a new season, the Thunder will have another wave of first-year guys making an impact on the floor, and the addition of Holmgren to the lineup makes things easier for Williams. 

Typically guys hit a second-year slump because teams have film on them and they're easy to figure out. That won't be too much of an issue as teams will still have to worry about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Holmgren. The deep amount of talent should keep Williams confident that his efficient contributions should continue. 

It'll be interesting to see Williams' approach on the court early in the season as the Thunder is primed for an entertaining season, and he could play a crucial role in the team's success.

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