Jalen Williams has arrived.
No longer should he be considered a blossoming player full of potential. Williams propelled the Thunder in a crucial Game 5 victory Monday, June 16, putting them just one win from the franchise’s first NBA title since 1979 and its first since relocating from Seattle to Oklahoma City.
And though NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander draws most of the attention and generates headlines for his consistency, Williams — a first-time All-Star in February — is helping to lift the Thunder to new heights.
He led all players Monday with a playoff career-high 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting. At 24, he became the fifth-youngest player in NBA Finals history to score 40 or more points, joining Jerry West, Russell Westbrook, Rick Barry and Magic Johnson.
Over the past three games, Williams is averaging 31.0 points per game on 50.8% shooting, while adding 6.3 boards.
And he’s doing it by attacking with efficiency, not wasting movement, using speed to blow past defenders, getting to his spots down low and finishing with intent.
Over the past three games, Williams also has attempted 34 free throws.
“Great force,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said after the game. “I mean, that’s the word. We’ve used that word with him in his development. When he’s at his best he’s playing with that type of force. That was an unbelievable performance by him, just throughout the whole game.
“He really was on the gas the entire night. Applied a ton of pressure. Thought he made a lot of the right plays. We’re going to need a similar type of approach in Game 6 from him.”
The scary part for the rest of the Western Conference is that Williams is still learning. He has talked openly about the struggles he has confronted in his development, how there had been games in his career when he was too passive, waiting for the ball to swing to him.
“In order to get better and being good in these moments, and by no means am I perfect in these moments, you’re able to generate good habits when you have the right way of going about it and you have a process,” Williams said after the game. “I’m extremely fortunate that I have a coach and a staff and teammates that allow me to have those ugly plays during the year and figure out my game.
“I think right now it’s paid off. I understand the level of physicality I have to do in order to be good.”
Many star players develop their signature moves to get baskets when needed. James Harden has his step-back. Tim Duncan would go to the glass. Michael Jordan’s fadeaway was unguardable.
But that’s just one element of his game; he has become a three-level scorer who can knock down 3s — he went 3-of-5 from deep Monday night — just as easily as he can lace mid-range jumpers.
But, as always, and similar to Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams appears to be unbothered and unhurried when he attacks. He seems to survey the defense before deliberately getting to his spot.
“He was really gutsy tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He stepped into big plays. Felt like every time we needed a shot, he made it. He wasn’t afraid.’
When the Thunder needed those shots most, it was the third quarter.
Pacers guard T.J. McConnell sprung off on a heater and scored 13 in the period, as the Pacers made a late charge to close what had been a sizeable deficit.
Williams provided an answer, scoring 13 of his own in the third, on 4-of-5 attempts, including 4-of-5 on free throws.
This performance, if the Thunder do go on to win the championship, will be one that helps launch him into the conversation as an elite player.
“There were times earlier in the season where he had some ugly plays, ugly games, trying to establish the type force you saw tonight,” Daigneault said. “I complimented him back then. But he’s trying to make All-Star teams. He’s an All-NBA player this season. He’s got an individual career that he’s ambitious.
“The way that you accomplish your goals and become the player you’re going to be is by improving. I credit him because in the face of all those things, he just focused on improving. Now, in the face of going up to Indiana, up 3-2, we have to focus on improving. That’s got to be our mindset. We have to discipline ourselves to do that.”