Two OKC Thunder Players Land in Top 10 of The Athletic's '24 Under 24' List

The Athletic recently ranked the top 24 players in the NBA under the age of 24, with two Oklahoma City players landing in the top 10 of the list.

Dec 26, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) celebrates with Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

In a recent series of podcast episodes, Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon of The Athletic ranked the top 24 players in the NBA under the age of 24.

In their list, two Oklahoma City Thunder players ranked inside the top 10, with Jalen Williams checking in at No. 9 and Chet Holmgren landing at No. 4.

Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards and Zion Williamson were slotted ahead of Holmgren in that order.

Williams' earns his ranking after a solid first two seasons in the NBA, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2022-23 and fourth in Most Improved Player voting the next season.

In 2023-24, Williams averaged 19.1 points, 4.5 assists, four rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 54% from the field. After an impressive rookie campaign that saw Williams score much more efficiently than most first-year players, the Santa Clara product was even more efficient in his second year with the Thunder.

Williams' biggest improvement from his first to second professional seasons, however, was his 3-point shot. After knocking down 35.6% of his attempts from beyond the arc as a rookie, the 23-year-old shot 42.7% from the outside on more volume in 2023-24.

A versatile scorer and staunch perimeter defender, Williams has become a cornerstone on OKC's new roster.

Holmgren comes in at No. 4 after an impressive rookie campaign that saw the former No. 2 overall pick finish second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Wembanyama. In his first year on the court following a broken foot that held him out of the 2022-23 season, Holmgren averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks per game.

Holmgren was also very efficient as a rookie, shooting 53% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc. Additionally, Holmgren proved his grit and toughness in 2023-24, playing in all 82 of Oklahoma City's regular season contests.

With two highly regarded young players on the roster to go along with superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a host of talented role players, the Thunder should have one of the best groups in the NBA.

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