All-Star Appearance Can be a Stepping Stone for Jalen Williams

Jalen Williams' first All-Star appearance came and went a little quicker than he might've expected.

Partly due to the changing format of the All-Star game itself, the Oklahoma City Thunder forward was eliminated in the first matchup as part of the Young Stars, falling to the stacked roster of the Global Stars. On opposite sides of the court with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the first time, Williams was bested by the MVP frontrunner's 12 points.

In a limited seven minutes of action, Williams only mustered up two points, one assist and a block on 1-of-3 shooting. Most of his playing time came when Gilgeous-Alexander was in the game, so of course the winning man took a joking jab later that night.

"First and foremost I guarded the hell out of him. He had two points all night," Gilgeous-Alexander said on Williams. "But yeah, I'm happy for him. Many more to come. Great player in this league. Does so many things for our team. We wouldn't be the team we are without him and that's clear as day as that's why he's here, and I'm excited for him, now and for the future for sure."

The tournament didn't provide Williams with the most ideal first-time experience during the big game of All-Star weekend, though for many players his age, high playing time can't always be expected. He had the same chance to win as every other team, however, his team just couldn't advance as far as he would like.

The target score of 40 points didn't do him any favors either — a stark difference from the length of time and points put him in the years past.

"Yeah, it was a little quick. I would have loved to play a little longer. Obviously, this being my first time, I would like to just play longer. But you've got to win," Williams said on the format. "This is the first time they're doing it, so it's not going to be perfect. But yeah, I wish we could just play a little bit longer."

Even with the dissapointment, this likely won't be the last time Williams makes his way into the All-Star game. With every season he's made large improvements in his game and averages, not to mention the fact that Oklahoma City will be competing for championships for the foreseeable future.

Maybe next year, Williams will have a stronger chance at besting Gilgeous-Alexander. But then again, the two Thunder stars have their sights set on something greater.

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