Thunder Rookie Jalen Williams Jumps to No. 4 on Rookie Ladder

Following the best weeks of his young career, rookie Jalen Williams has jumped to No. 4 on the official Draft Digest rookie ladder.

With Chet Holmgren absent due to a season-ending foot injury, Williams has shouldered the rookie load well, averaging 11.7 points on 51 percent shooting overall.

Within his class, Williams has garnered attention as a potential first-team All-Rookie candidate. He’s the only player to rank within the top ten of the class in total points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, and has been a viable offensive weapon for OKC on a near nightly basis.

Most recently, Williams exploded for 21 points, six assists with no turnovers and four steals in a historic win over the Boston Celtics.

Over the last week, Williams has averaged 17.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 57 percent from three and 42 percent from beyond the arc.

Selected twelfth overall, it's safe to say Williams is exceeding expectations just a handful of games into his debut year with OKC.

Orlando’s Paolo Banchero and Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin lead the way at the No. 1 and 2 spots, with little chance of being dethroned. Detroit’s Jaden Ivey finds himself at third yet again despite some shooting woes.

Williams jumped Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. and Sacramento’s Keegan Murray to No. 4 on Draft Digest’s ladder. The full rankings can be found here.

Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.