Oklahoma City wanted to fill a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-sized gap of their lineup on Wednesday towards San Antonio. It’s not a simple gap to fill when the injured participant is the group’s main scorer and the fifth ranked scorer within the NBA. But Jalen Williams held his personal.
With SGA out on account of a hip contusion, Williams stepped into the beginning lineup for the seventh time in 18 profession video games.
And his Gilgeous-Alexander imitation was spot on. Williams scored a career-high 27 factors and notched six rebounds within the Thunder’s 119-111 comeback win over the Spurs.
It was Williams’ first time to attain over 20 factors in his younger NBA profession. The latest lottery choose has now scored double-digit factors in seven of the final 10 video games.
Williams has proven to be certainly one of OKC’s most constant shooters when on the courtroom. Including an 11-for-15 mark on Wednesday he is capturing 52% on 8.2 pictures per sport.
Currently Williams function has him as one of many key gamers off of the bench for the Thunder, which has earned him 25.1 minutes per sport up to now.
Williams has confirmed his capability to be a purposeful key piece to OKC’s success, which has earned him extra minutes off of the bench. However, the function of a bench participant may solely develop so excessive, which could lead on him into the dialog as certainly one of OKC’s starters sooner reasonably than later in his profession.
The greatest hurdle for a beginning function for the twelfth total choose is who’s in entrance of him and the out there openings.
When there’s an harm within the beginning lineup with Josh Giddey, Lu Dort or SGA, Williams will have the ability to step in. However, when these three are wholesome one must be on the bench probably for Williams to earn the nod.
Williams is 6-foot-6 making him possible too small to step into the 4 spot of the lineup. OKC may shift Dort and play with 4 guards in an already small lineup, however that’s unlikely.
Dort has stepped up his play since a sluggish begin to the season, and Giddey’s passing capability speaks for itself making it exhausting to justify sitting both of them in favor of Williams.
His time is coming, however for the fast time being Williams will serve as the first sub for the beginning lineup and serve a significant function off of the bench on a wholesome OKC squad.
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