NBA Draft: Thunder Guard Jalen Williams Coming Alive in Home Stretch

After rocketing up draft boards just before the 2022 NBA Draft, former Santa Clara guard Jalen Williams is now proving he should’ve rose even higher.

Over the last week, the 6-foot-6 hybrid has averaged 22.0 points, 6.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals while shooting 56 percent overall, 50 percent from beyond the arc and 85 percent at the charity stripe.

With franchise star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out of the lineup, Williams has commanded more of the primary ball-handler responsibilities, and he’s certainly made the most of them.

But the hot-streak extends even further. In his last nine games, Williams has averaged 17.4 points on 54 percent shooting overall, 45 percent from three and 90 percent from the line.

Drafted No. 12 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, one could argue he’s been the steal of the draft, essentially functioning as a top-three player for the Thunder for most of the season and subsequently being a top-five talent so far in the class.

On the season, Williams is now averaging 12.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists with 51-33-77 splits. Barring any crazy shakeup, it seems he’s done enough to land himself an All-Rookie selection, and potentially even on the first team.

There’s only a handful of games left for the 2022 class to make their mark on what’s been solid debut seasons for most.

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