Jalen Williams

The talk of the NBA's town, in some discussions at least, may center around Jalen Williams’ transition towards the trees as one of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s theoretically-undersized “bigs,” but make no mistake about it. When the time arrives for one of the Wild West’s elites to box in a victory through lockdown defense, No. 8 remains as good as it gets along the guard-dominated perimeter. Skipping fanciness and opting for brute force against Devin Booker’s drive, Williams superbly plays his role as a help defender, effortlessly plucking the basketball from the four-time All-Star’s grasp as if it were a relay race baton. Keeping said energy on a profitable three-on-one fastbreak, Williams unselfishly delivers a backward pass to a teammate, diverting the Phoenix Suns’ lone defender’s focus before receiving it right back for a powerful two-handed alley-oop flush. Williams’ contributions in November 15, 2024’s victory were all-encompassing, as he produced 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two rejections.

Championship Year