Jalen Williams has come into his own for the Oklahoma City Thunder this postseason, as he has been a reliable sidekick for league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Following his 40-point explosion in Game 5, Williams has drawn comparisons to former Chicago Bulls forward Scottie Pippen, and the one-time NBA All-Star sees it as a huge honor to be compared to one of the most established stars in league history.
“I feel like a new-age Scottie maybe,” Williams told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I’m not mad at that one at all. I like that. And then obviously Shai gets a little Jordan comparison, so that’s cool. It’s very cool. Any time you compared to somebody like that, you’re doing something right.”
“He is pretty special,” Pippen said about Williams. “I’m enjoying watching him. I see a lot of me in him for sure. I see a guy rising to be one of the top players in this league. He’s definitely a player that is capable of being able to lead that franchise to multiple championships — him and Shai, of course.”
Oklahoma City Thunder News: Jalen Williams drops brutally honest take on Game 6 loss
Jalen Williams lamented the Oklahoma City Thunder’s effort on both ends of the court during their Game 6 108-91 loss to the Indiana Pacers last night. Williams had a -40 plus-minus, the worst plus-minus by any player in a Finals match in the play-by-play era since 1997-98, according to ESPN Research.
“It (Thunder offense) just got sticky, I feel like. Our defense wasn’t very good. When you’re constantly taking the ball out and you’re playing against a set defense over and over again, that’s part of it. Other part, we didn’t do a good job trusting each other to make the next play like we did Game 5,” Williams told ESPN.
The Santa Clara product finished Game 6 with 16 points and three rebounds on 6-for-13 shooting from the field in 27 minutes of action. The Oklahoma City Thunder aim to close out the Indiana Pacers at home in Game 7 this Sunday.
