NBA Rookie Deep Dive: Jalen Williams

After a tremendous debut season from Williams, the Thunder rookie was honored as a member of the All-Rookie First Team earlier this week.

Being Oklahoma City's third selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, it was nearly impossible for anyone to predict that the former Santa Clara guard would make as big of an impact as he did over the course of his rookie season, especially on a competitive team with postseason aspirations.

Williams' tremendous season earned "J-Dub" a spot on the All-Rookie First Team alongside Walker Kessler, Bennedict Mathurin, Keegan Murray and 2023 Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero. 

Williams began his professional career by taking an elbow to the face five minutes into his debut, forcing the versatile wing to miss the next four games. When Williams returned to the lineup, he still was not a regular starter. 

This didn't stop the No. 12 overall pick from shining, however, as Williams was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November after averaging 10.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 52.4% from the field. The Gilbert, Arizona, native became a regular starter in early December, tallying 62 starts in 75 appearances as a rookie. 

Williams won the Rookie of the Month award again for his performance in March, putting up 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. The Perry High School product finished the 2022-23 season averaging 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 52.1% from the field and 35.6% from 3-point range. 

Compared to other prominent OKC rookies, Williams had one of the best seasons in Thunder history. James Harden didn't record a single start his first season in the NBA and didn't average more than 14 points per game until his third year in the league. 

Russell Westbrook was far less efficient than Williams as a rookie, shooting less than 40% from the field over a decade ago. 

Williams scored a career-high 32 points against Utah in early March, going 12-of-15 from the field to help propel the Thunder to a much-needed victory over the Jazz. The former Santa Clara Broncho added five rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals to his career-best point total. 

The Oklahoma City wing topped 30 points for the second time of his young career later in March, making him the first Thunder rookie to do so since Westbrook in 2008-09.

Another season highlight for "J-Dub" was the rookie's first game-winning shot, coming in late March. With a postseason spot still on the line, Williams grabbed an offensive rebound with less than a second left, sinking a put-back to lift the Thunder over the Detroit Pistons. 

In the win, OKC's rookie standout went 11-of-19 from the field, scoring 27 points in addition to eight rebounds, six assists and one block.

While Williams was considered a talented "sleeper" prospect in the 2022 NBA Draft, almost no one expected him to contribute to a postseason contender at such a high level in his debut season. After an impeccable rookie year from the Santa Clara product, it is easy to see multiple all-star appearances in Williams' future. 

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