The pressure on Jalen Williams' shoulders in his third NBA season

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in an unbeatable position to secure the top spot in the Western Conference for the second consecutive year. They also hope that this playoff series will be longer than last year's. However, in their previous game, they suffered their worst defeat of the season, blowing a 25-point lead and being outscored 16-0 in the final four minutes.

Furthermore, despite it being a humiliating loss for the Thunder, there have been many exaggerated reactions. In the NBA, everyone loses; the Thunder had a 24-0 run not long ago against the Miami Heat. Moreover, last year, the Boston Celtics, who won the title, squandered a 30-point lead. However, there is one thing the Thunder can take away from this game, and that's how Jalen Williams performed in the clutch.

Williams is in his third year and is only 23 years old. Nevertheless, he has made significant strides from one year to the next. In his rookie year, he averaged 14.1 points per game, and last year, he increased that figure to 19.1. This season, he is averaging a career-high. His averages are the highest of his career, but his efficiency has dipped slightly. In the final quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he was only 2 for 9 from the field and scored eight points. Moreover, he did not attempt any shots in overtime. This brings back memories for Thunder fans of what happened to Jalen in the playoffs last year. Now the question is, are the Thunder asking too much of Jalen Williams?

After the 2021-2022 season, the Thunder finished the year with a record of 24-58. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was about to turn 24 years old and was not the player he is today, as the Thunder were still considered a team in rebuilding mode. In that draft, the Thunder selected Chet Holmgren from Gonzaga at number two, and Jalen Williams at 12. After Chet got injured and missed his rookie year, the expectations were the same in OKC. However, Shai had a breakout year, and Jalen surprised everyone as a rookie.

They increased their wins by 16 and ended up as a play-in team, with a record of 40-42. Unfortunately, they fell short in the play-in and missed the playoffs. The following year, Chet had an incredible rookie season, while Shai and Jalen also improved. The Thunder again increased their wins by 17, with a 57-25 record, and became the youngest team in NBA history to clinch the top seed in the conference. They lost to the Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs. Finally, this year, they are even better with a record of 46 wins and only 11 losses. They have made huge strides from one year to the next and have placed unfair expectations on these players.

Just last year, in the playoffs, Jalen Williams fought hard as the second option, especially against the Mavericks. He averaged 17 points per game and shot 42.4% from the field and 38.1% from three-point range. After the season, people wondered if Jalen could be that second man alongside Shai. However, he was only 22 years old, about to turn 23, and had just experienced his first playoffs. Most NBA players struggle in their first playoff series. Kevin Durant had a tough time in his first playoff series with the Thunder.

Jalen Williams' Mission

These questions this year still lingered and resurfaced after the game against the Timberwolves when Jalen failed to step up in the fourth quarter to help alleviate the pressure on Shai. However, with the Thunder becoming so good so quickly, the expectations on a player like Jalen Williams have been accelerated. When Shai was 23, he averaged around 24.5 points per game as the number one option. This year, Jalen is averaging 21 points as the second option. Shai and Jalen are on a similar trajectory, and when Shai was 23, he still wasn't ready to shine in the playoffs.

Nevertheless, although the expectations are still slightly high for Jalen, he has shown flashes of being what the Thunder want him to be. Those flashes have been more prevalent this year, and that's why he was an All-Star. However, the playoffs are a different animal, and until Jalen proves otherwise, doubts will linger. Ultimately, the Thunder don't know how Jalen Williams' playoff journey will unfold in his second year, and they are on edge.

Nevertheless, Williams knows what awaits him this time in the playoffs and is better prepared than last year, when he entered blindly. Additionally, Isaiah Hartenstein can make Williams' life easier on the offensive end with his screening ability to free up space, as well as his passing acumen. Furthermore, they now have a veteran like Alex Caruso, who has won a championship and can also contribute. The Thunder are optimistic and believe that with all these elements that Jalen didn't have at his disposal last year, his second playoff journey as the secondary scoring option will fare better this year.

With the Thunder becoming good so rapidly, expectations have skyrocketed on players at an unjust pace. Jalen Williams is only entering the second playoff series of his career and is only 23 years old. However, because this team is better and structured somewhat differently, the Thunder hope that Jalen's second playoff series will be better and he can relieve the pressure off Shai. Ultimately, Shai can only take them so far, and for the Thunder to achieve their end-of-year goal, Jalen needs to be that second scoring option. Yet, if he's not quite ready, it must be understood that he is only 23, and his best basketball is yet to come.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La presión sobre los hombros de Jalen Williams en su tercera temporada NBA