Thunder Rookie Jalen Williams is Ready to Contribute Immediately
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Outside of the top few picks in every draft, most rookies take time to truly make an impact in their first NBA season. However, there’s always a few outside of the top five that have the skillset to contribute immediately.
With the No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder might have found one of those guys in Jalen Williams.
In both the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas summer leagues, Williams showed is already capable of playing at the next level. After going through three college seasons at Santa Clara, he’s an older rookie that has a ton of experience under his belt.
At 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Williams has the chance to be disruptive on both ends of the floor. At the college level, he proved to be effective not only with the ball in his hands, but also off of the ball. Additionally, he’s got the frame and length to be a versatile defender early in his career.
Oklahoma City has a ton of guards on the roster, but Williams’ size will allow him to play on the wing or even as a power forward in small ball situations. Additionally, if any of the Thunder starters get hurt at some point during the season, there’s a real chance Williams could be slotted in as a temporary replacement.
A late lottery rookie, Williams should get more of an opportunity on this rebuilding Thunder team than even some of the guys taken before him in the draft. He showed out in NBA Summer League, and will now look to continue that success.
Being a three-year college player does have its benefits as it relates to transitioning to the NBA.
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