Candace Parker Projects High Hopes for 22YO Star After OKC’s Triumphant Clash Against Rockets

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren continue to make headlines for the high-flying OKC Thunder, one name has gone under the radar. Just in his second year in the league, Jalen Williams has become a great second option who provides the Oklahoma City Thunder elite scoring efficiency. With people slowly getting onto the Williams hype train, 2x WNBA champion Candace Parker has expressed high hopes for J-Dub. Appearing on Inside the NBA, Parker talked about Williams’ improvement this year.

“Jalen Williams is just a hooper. OKC has done an amazing job drafting… He is shooting 45% from the three-point line. He has upped his three-point percentage by 10% from last year,” Parker said, appreciating Williams’ rise. The Las Vegas Aces star further spotlighted that with Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC has two of the best fourth-quarter players in the NBA.

“He’s averaging seven points per game in the fourth quarter. And he is honestly taking his game to a whole another level,” said Parker terming J-DUB as “the most improved this year.”

She further highlighted that the 22-year-old not only helps OKC’s offense but defense as well. Candace even went on to attribute the Thunder’s fast-paced but smart gameplay to Williams’ athleticism. Meanwhile, Jamal Crawford credited the Oklahoma City Thunder as well for his development, stating, “Don’t forget how stable they’ve been.”

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Crawford recollected how OKC developed Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden as well. “I wouldn’t say these guys are those guys, but there’s something to what they’re doing. And it seems like they have the formula and the recipe to develop guys, get guys better,” he said. However, the improvement shown by J-Dub is a wonder in its own sense.

Statistical Analysis of Jalen Williams’ improvement

Jalen has been averaging 19.1 points in 52 games played this season as compared to an average of 14.1 points across 75 games during his rookie year. His field goal percentage has also increased from 52.1 to 54.4%. Meanwhile, his three-point percentage has witnessed even more drastic improvement taking a jump from 35.6 to 45.4%.

While his rebounding averages have dropped from 4.5 to 4.0, his assists per game have increased from 3.3 to 4.7.  Meanwhile, the fans and NBA community have also acknowledged J-Dub’s transformation as a player.

What is your opinion on Jalen William’s performance in his 2023-24 run so far? Do let us know in the comments if he is the “most improved” player this season, as Candace Parker believes.

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