Jalen Williams, the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, is reaching heights few predicted coming out of Santa Clara. The third-year guard/forward averages 22.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.0 assists this year.
Williams will be in consideration for a spot on the Western Conference All-Star team this February. He deserves recognition for his play.
JDub’s Immense Versatility
Williams has been a guy Coach Mark Daigneault could put anywhere on the court throughout his career, and this has certainly been true this season.
Williams has played all five positions throughout the year due to necessity. He got forced into starting at center for seven games due to injuries to Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Despite his 6-foot-5 frame, he did a phenomenal job in that role.
Williams’ October tweet joking that he “be playing the 5” in response to a photo at an awkward angle rang true. He was crucial during the Thunder’s injury crisis.
Williams averaged 26.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in the seven games he played at center. Along with 2.6 steals and 1.1 blocks on the defensive end, he showed his versatility capabilities on both sides of the ball.
Williams was able to weather the storm in the fallout of Holmgren’s injury with his strong play.
A Championship-level Second Option
Since Holmgren’s injury, JDub has stepped up massively. He is scoring 24.2 points, assisting on 5.2 shots and shooting 40% from three on 5.8 attempts. In these 13 games, he is tallying 2.3 steals a contest, showing his two-way prowess.
Williams has shown his All-Star potential, and he’s the perfect sidekick to All-NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The 23-year-old is an incredible playmaker, versatile defender, and a true three-level-scorer. He is exceptionally fond of finding cutters and rollers in the paint, especially his frontcourt teammates.
With the addition of Hartenstein, Williams has a perfect pick-and-roll partner whose chemistry grows by the day. The duo has a net rating of +21.57 and is just getting better and better.
In addition, Hartenstein’s addition has revamped the second-unit lineups with Williams running the show. Before Hartenstein, the Williams-led lineup without Gilgeous-Alexander was -1.36 in 178 minutes. With Hartenstein, it is +25.5 in 57 minutes— an incredible jump.
The addition of the seven-footer has unlocked Williams’ potential even more.
Williams can overpower guards with his strength on the defensive end, jump in passing lanes for steals, and compete with taller players. He is a genuine two-way threat.
Players need to be careful around the stealthy defender.
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Looking at his shot chart, you see plenty of green space. Williams is shooting above-average percentages in every location on the court other than the three-point corners, where he rarely shoots.
At 53.4%, Williams is fourth in the league in midrange field goal percentage. At the same time, he is hitting threes at a 39.3% rate, a true pure scorer.
The Jalen Williams Experience
Williams deserves a nod for the All-Star Game as the second-best player on the best team in the West. With his two-way game, he has undoubtedly been one of the best players in the league this year.
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We are witnessing an All-Star-worthy season.
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