Jalen Williams or Chet Holmgren: Who is the OKC Thunder’s No. 2 Option Moving Forward?
With two talented players flanking Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City’s starting five, Mark Daigneault and company have multiple players who can operate as the Thunder’s second scoring option.
After three consecutive double-doubles, Chet Holmgren NBA observers have taken notice of the talented rookie’s success.
While the former No. 2 overall pick and five-star recruit has received plenty of praise throughout the season, the emergence of Victor Wembanyama and a slight slump in the middle of the year from Holmgren shifted the focus of many basketball fans.
Now, with the Oklahoma City Thunder holding the top spot in the Western Conference and a good stretch of play from Holmgren, people are once again taking notice of how impressive the former Gonzaga standout’s rookie season has been.
Against the Utah Jazz earlier in the week, Holmgren tallied 35 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks, two steals and one assist, helping lead OKC to a victory.
Holmgren’s reemergence has coincided with an impressive run of performances from second-year wing Jalen Williams. Since returning from an ankle injury, the former Santa Clara standout has tallied at least 18 points in four consecutive games while shooting over 52% from the field in each contest.
This stretch was highlighted by a 27-point performance that helped lead the Thunder to a win against the Dallas Mavericks. Both Williams and Holmgren having breakout performances at the same time has led to multiple media outlets pondering which player will have a better trajectory over the next few seasons.
In 2023-24, Holmgren is averaging 17.1 points, eight rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.4 blocks per game while shooting 54.1% from the field and 39.1% from 3-point range. Williams is averaging 19.2 points, 4.5 assists, four rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 54.1% from the and 44.4% from beyond the arc.
With Williams being just 22-years-old and Holmgren being 21, the two Thunder stars will likely still improve in the coming seasons. Both players are extremely versatile and provide solid two-way ability as impactful defenders and three-level scorers on offense.
Additionally, part of what makes Oklahoma City’s talented trio so successful is each member’s willingness to play their role and take the shots that come to them in the flow of the game.
If Williams and Holmgren continue to play with the same mentality and skill sets, they should benefit from the other’s talent, and will likely alternate as Oklahoma City’s No. 2 option depending on how they matchup against the opposing team.
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