Jalen Williams Announces Intentions to Play in Summer League
Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams has had a busy week filling in as a media member at the NBA Finals.
He’s been a league media correspondent throughout the series between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets asking players all the hard-hitting questions and appearing often on the NBA’s social media accounts. He confirmed Michael Porter’s comment about the Thunder having the “drippiest” team in the league and self-proclaimed his media database called “Dub Hub”
Wednesday, Williams told Daniel Bell he plans to play in the NBA’s Summer League, which should add plenty of excitement to the fold for Thunder fans.
While the news might seem surprising, Oklahoma City’s rising star Josh Giddey made an appearance in Salt Lake City last summer after a very impressive rookie season. Now, JDub is set to do the same. It’s unclear if the Thunder wing will make an appearance at the Las Vegas Summer League, but he appears to be locked into the Salt Lake City session at least.
The 22-year-old from Santa Clara averaged 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 52.1% shooting over the course of his rookie campaign. Williams finished No. 2 in Rookie of the Year voting behind Orlando’s Paolo Banchero and exceeded his expectations in dramatic fashion.
His ascension raises the Thunder’s ceiling exponentially, and his impressive efficiency and finishing ability around the rim adds a whole new dynamic to an already talented team. Williams developed quick chemistry with both Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and should be one of the most proven players taking the court throughout the summer session.
Williams was a bright spot for the Thunder last summer, and never looked back proving it against the NBA’s best competition. Now, with a full year under his belt, his confidence should be sky high and his assertiveness should be on display. If Chet Holmgren plans on suiting up, Oklahoma City will certainly have one of the more talented teams in attendance.
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