Jalen Williams has taken his game to the next level during his second career playoff run.
After an up-and-down performance in the 2023-24 NBA Playoffs, Jalen Williams has been stellar in his second postseason run as the No. 2 offensive threat behind Kia MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The counting stats are similar by comparison, but the eye test details his tremendous growth and maturation in the biggest moments.
Last year, Williams averaged 18.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.7 steals on 46.9 / 38.5 / 81.5 shooting splits across 10 playoff games. In 2024-25, he’s averaging 20.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 5.3 apg and 1.7 spg in 15 contests, even though his splits have taken a bit of a hit in terms of efficiency (45.5 / 32.1 / 76.9).
When you compare his performances in the Conference semis against Dallas last season to his second-round series versus Denver this year, a concerning pattern started to develop for the versatile 24-year-old. The shooting struggles were prevalent again, most notably in a Game 6 loss to the Nuggets where he finished with 6 points on 3-for-16 shooting in 38 minutes. It was Williams’ fourth outing of the series in which he shot under 36% from the field, and he was incredibly candid in his postgame interview.
“I just hurt us tonight not making shots,” Williams said. “I got to spots I wanted to get to, they didn’t go in. That’s how basketball works.”
Williams’ podium answer exemplifies the type of growth he has experienced over the past year-plus that has been a key difference for him and the Thunder. It’s the same thing SGA and coach Mark Daigneault have preached throughout these playoffs: maturation and the ability to wipe past performances from their minds in order to focus on the task at hand.
Following the disappointing Game 6 vs. Denver, ‘J-Dub’ responded with 24 points on 10-for-17 shooting in 33 minutes, adding five rebounds, seven assists and a steal in his first career Game 7. He’s been even better during his first Conference Finals appearance.
Through four games in the West Finals, Williams has been a star, matching the bright lights with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. He’s popped off with averages of 23.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.3 apg and 2.3 spg (2nd in the Conference Finals), while fine-tuning his efficiency, recording splits of 49.3 / 50.0 / 84.6 in 34.0 mpg.
In Game 4’s 128-126 victory on Monday, J-Dub turned it up another notch by dropping a playoff career-high 34 points (13-24 FG), drilling six 3s to go along with three boards, five assists and a game-high three steals. He did his damage in a number of ways, too, highlighting the all-around arsenal at his disposal.
We’ve covered the scoring prowess and fluidity on offense, but J-Dub is so much more than just a bucket-getter for Oklahoma City. He’s showcased his ability to impact the game on both ends of the court, as he’s an integral piece of the Thunder’s top-ranked defense (105.7 Def. Rtg.) in the playoffs.
After suffering their largest margin of defeat all season in Game 3 against Minnesota, the suffocating defense that helped OKC take a 2-0 series lead was back in action for Game 4. Williams was one of six defenders who spent 50+ seconds guarding Anthony Edwards and one of four who spent 45+ seconds guarding Julius Randle. He was instrumental in limiting the Wolves’ stars to just 21 combined points – their lowest combined output all season – on 6-for-20 shooting overall. His defensive IQ, length, quick feet and hands helped create a playoff-high 23 turnovers for Minnesota, resulting in 22 points for the Thunder.
Williams has taken it upon himself to rewrite his postseason narrative after a shaky debut in 2023-24. He has the chance to further solidify that turnaround tonight in Game 5 at home (8:30 ET, ESPN) with the opportunity for OKC to clinch a trip to the Finals.
