Jalen Williams’ ceiling? Thunder says ‘it would be stupid’ to put one on a new star

LAS VEGAS — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paused to consider the options. His dark sunglasses covered his eyes, but the way his head shook and lips smiled suggested he was impressed with the future he envisions for his Oklahoma City Thunder teammate.

“It would be stupid of me to cap him,” the MVP contender said after Saturday’s win to advance to the NBA Cup Finals. “I think he can go as far as he wants, as far as he takes it.”

That fellow player, forward Jalen Williams, has transformed from a three-star prep prospect to the No. 2 option for a team with legitimate championship hopes.

And as with thunder itself, you can see the flashes before the full force of the storm arrives.

No one could have predicted Williams’ rise, but the 2023 Rookie of the Year runner-up is now a clear and present two-way threat whose impact on the court has put him in conversations around the league about how high he can climb and how far the Thunder can go.

Jeff Teague, with his infectious way of stirring the pot, added to the debate with his comments last week on his Club 520 Podcast, declaring Williams on par with NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown.

“I think Jalen Williams is a premier player in the league,” Teague said before doubling down on his claim of their equivalence. “You put Jalen Williams on the Celtics right now, it’s going to be the same….”

That poses a key question about the potential in Oklahoma City. Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP-caliber talent, a bona fide superstar. But the Thunder are an elite Western Conference team for the sum of their parts. OKC’s depth and the way its roster fits together make its championship dreams realistic.

But it takes two to make something go right, and capturing the NBA championship requires another star. Another player who can deliver huge results in critical moments.

The Celtics didn’t win until Brown became a beast alongside Jayson Tatum. The Dallas Mavericks made themselves a contender by pairing Kyrie Irving with Luka Dončić. Whenever Jamal Murray is at his best, he’s a perfect complement to Nikola Jokić — and when he’s not, the Nuggets have a big problem. Evan Mobley’s emergence with Donovan Mitchell playing like a superstar turns Cleveland into title contenders.

The Thunder, with their wealth of resources, have stood pat with their home-grown stars. Oklahoma City could cash in on its assets to get a proven star. Instead, until now, it has meant that Williams developed into that guy. And so far, he’s more than justifying that belief.

“Like, very special,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of Williams. “As good as he wants to be. He’s got a really good feel for the game, which is so hard to pick up or learn this (early) in your career. He just understands how to play basketball … and then he works hard and his skills will only continue to grow because of these things.

“There are so many things he does on the basketball court for us that are at a very high level.”

Williams is on pace to average 20 points per game. fight for the first time in his career. He enters the NBA Cup championship averaging 21.7 points on 50 percent shooting. At 23, he’s already a three-level scorer with a rep for being able to get a bucket in a variety of ways. He is one of the best in the league on the break, ranking as the no. 8 in the league in transition points per game – in a top 10 with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant and LeBron James.

In Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinal against the Houston Rockets with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench, Williams led the Thunder to a double-digit lead in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. The duo combined for 52 of the team’s 111 points — with Isaiah Hartenstein adding 21 and Lu Dort 19 — giving a national audience a glimpse of the kind of havoc the Thunder hope to wreak in the postseason after a second-round upset in the last six games. season for Irving and Dončić’s Mavericks.

“Offensively, he’s super talented,” Hartenstein said of Williams in the locker room after the game.

“He can get into his midrange, he finds different guys, then he can get to the hoop as well. And to me, he’s definitely playing like an All-Star, and I feel like he should be in the All-Star conversation. “

While Williams has been a solid defender, his defense has taken a noticeable leap higher in a league where so much attention is given to offensive production. He is in the top 10 of NBA defenders and has recorded eight steals over the past five games.

“I feel like you can put him on any guy, big (or) small … he’ll do that,” Hartenstein said. “He’s a great help-side defender. In terms of length, his arms are so long. He can block shots, get steals.”

Teammate Alex Caruso, with two NBA All-Defensive selections in his career, sees promise in Williams’ abilities.

“He has special physical features mixed with special instincts. He doesn’t take the whole field up and turn and turn and turn, but when he decides to make a play, he makes it every time,” Caruso said. “He goes for the ball, he goes for the block. He does a phenomenal job of timing them and coming up with the play.”

The versatility of the 6-foot-6 Williams cannot be overstated. His size, athleticism and skills make him useful across the board. In addition to being second on the Thunder in scoring, he is also second in assists (5.0). He leads Oklahoma City in total rebounds, total steals and total dunks.

“I think every year I just try to master one thing,” Williams said after totaling 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in the win over Houston.

He locked in his middle class this season. According to NBA statistics, he is shooting 52.3 percent on his 65 layups. Last season he made 48.8 percent of his 166 attempts.

“I try to take one thing at a time and not rush,” Williams continued. “My dad is big on just (taking) one year at a time. You don’t play this for a year. I’m trying to be in the NBA for 15-plus. … In the course of my work, I want to master several things a year and see where I end up.”

Part of the importance of Williams answering this question — is he a worthy No. 2 on a championship team? – is his pending prize. The no. 12 selection of Santa Clara in the 2022 NBA Draft will be due for a massive contract extension this summer.

He is making $4.8 million this season and will make $6.6 million next season. His salary is certain to quintuple in 2026-27. Chet Holmgren, selected 10 spots ahead of Williams in the same draft, is also in line for an extension. In the same year they get a raise, Gilgeous-Alexander — who is also eligible for a supermax extension after this season — will get more than $40 million.

SGA is locked in like the face of thunder. Holmgren is unique and a determined keeper. If Williams is who they think he is, OKC has a big three for the future. As long as the franchise can stand the price tag.

“He brings a lot on both ends of the floor,” Dort said of Williams. “He can guard, he can get a bucket every time. He’s a guy who can play make. His ceiling, I mean, I think he can be an All-Star. I think he should be an All-Star this year, but we’ll see.

“He just has to keep doing what he’s doing. He brings so much to the game.”

(Top photo Jalen Williams: Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)