OKC Thunder Trio Reason for the Team's Improved Ceiling This Season
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a superstar. That's no secret. He wasn't First Team All-NBA last season for no reason. He was in the MVP conversation and likely will be again this season with a potential All-Star starter season incoming.
With Gilgeous-Alexander being this good with a young, upcoming Oklahoma City Thunder squad allows for the roster to grow with and around him. This is happening in real time this season.
Jalen Williams was insanely impressive in his first season. He showed his ability to be an efficient complementary star, and that cadence has continued this season as he's averaging 17.9 points per game on similar efficiency from last season.
It was understood from his rookie season that he was going to be a big part of what the Thunder is building. He plays well alongside Gilgeous-Alexander, which is crucial for team-building purposes.
The two were impressive last season and only improved heading into this season, where the team also added Chet Holmgren into the lineup. He's quickly proving how he, along with the other two, is consistently raising the ceiling of this Thunder team.
Gilgeous-Alexander being the talent that he is leaves Holmgren and Williams to play complementary star basketball. Both of the players emerging into potential second stars to Gilgeous-Alexander is going to be what allows the team to quickly grow into contenders.
The Thunder is currently the No. 2 team in the Western Conference. They were 40-42 and in the play-in a season ago. Having both Williams and Holmgren growing into stars this season is going to be what solidifies this team as a perennial contender for years to come.
Holmgren is averaging 17.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game to start his rookie season. He's been efficient, but for the Thunder to continually improve and raise its ceiling, Holmgren and Williams both will have to consistently play into the second-star role.
As long as those two players are playing into the system and complementing Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder is going to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
Of course, having a plethora of depth and an established style that pulls the best out of most players in the system helps the Thunder's case in this situation, but without having the two young guys emerge in the second- and third-star roles, this team's ceiling significantly shrinks.
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