Jalen Williams

Last updated

Jalen Williams
No. 8–Oklahoma City Thunder
Position Shooting guard / small forward
League NBA
Personal information
Born (2001-04-14) April 14, 2001 (age 23)
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight211 lb (96 kg)
Career information
High school Perry (Gilbert, Arizona)
College Santa Clara (2019–2022)
NBA draft 2022: 1st round, 12th overall pick
Selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder
Playing career2022–present
Career history
2022–present Oklahoma City Thunder
Career highlights and awards
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at NBA.com
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at Basketball-Reference.com

Jalen Devonn Williams (born April 14, 2001), also known by his nickname J-Dub, is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Santa Clara Broncos for three seasons before declaring for the 2022 NBA draft where he was selected by the Thunder in the first round.

Contents

High school career

Williams played basketball at Perry High School in Gilbert, Arizona. Starting off as a 6-feet tall point guard, Williams grew five inches from his sophomore to senior year of high school. Despite this, Santa Clara still listed him as a 6'3" guard when Williams signed his national letter of intent. [1] As a senior, Williams was ranked 9th among prep players in Arizona by 247Sports. Williams ended his high school career averaging more than 25 points per game in his senior year, being named the Chandler Unified School District Player of the Year as a junior, and was awarded the 2017–18 Region Offensive Player of the Year. [2]

Recruiting

Rated as a three-star recruit by major recruiting services 247Sports and Rivals, Williams committed to Santa Clara over offers from Hofstra and Nevada. [3]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
NameHometownHigh school / collegeHeightWeightCommit date
Jalen Williams
SG 		Gilbert, AZ Perry (AZ)6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)180 lb (82 kg)Nov 2, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A    Rivals: 3 stars.svg     247Sports: 3 stars.svg
Overall recruiting rankings:   247Sports: 230
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Santa Clara 2019 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  • "2019 Santa Clara Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  • "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.

College career

On November 5, 2019, Williams made his debut for Santa Clara, recording 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals against UC Santa Cruz. [4] As a freshman, Williams played in all 33 games, starting in the final 23 games while leading the team in steals with 44 – which ranked third on the school's all-time freshman list. [2] Against Mississippi Valley State, Williams had season bests with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and career highs in field goals, three-pointers, and assists. [5] He finished his freshman season averaging 7.7 points in 25.5 minutes. In his sophomore season, Williams started in all of his 18 appearances and was second on the team in scoring and free throw percentage. [2] In the opening round of the 2021 WCC tournament, Williams recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds against Pepperdine in a 78–70 loss. [6] He increased his scoring average to 11.5 points in 31.6 minutes in his sophomore season. [2]

In his final season with Santa Clara, Williams emerged as a scorer, finishing second in the WCC with 18.0 points per game while shooting 51.3%. In 31 out of 33 games, Williams scored in double figures including scoring 16 or more points in 21 games. [2] Against Hawaii, Williams registered a career-high 30 points with four rebounds and four assists on November 30, 2021. [7] On January 27, 2022, Williams hit a game-winning shot against BYU while finishing with 26 points. [8] On March 15, 2022 in the 2022 NIT, Williams played his final collegiate game, finishing with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 assists in a 63–50 loss against Washington State. [9] At the end of the season, Williams was named as a First Team All-WCC selection, Second Team NABC All-District, and was named as a finalist for the Lou Henson Award, given to the nation's top mid-major player. [2]

As a three-year guard, Williams finished his collegiate career as a two-time All-WCC choice and reached 1,000 career points as a junior after averaging 12.6 points on 46.9% shooting for his career. [2] On March 31, 2022, Williams declared for the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining his collegiate eligibility. [10]

Professional career

Oklahoma City Thunder (2022–present)

Described as a long, smooth small forward who can score on strong efficiency numbers while showing a sense of urgency and can use his length to contest shots, Williams was drafted 12th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2022 NBA draft. [11] [12] With the selection, Williams became the first Santa Clara player to be drafted since Steve Nash in 1996. He is currently the highest drafted Bronco prospect in the modern era and the second-highest in Santa Clara history behind Ken Sears in 1955. [13]

2022–2023: Rookie season

On October 19, 2022, Williams made his NBA debut, putting up 5 points in 6 minutes before taking a hit defending a dunk attempt by Jaden McDaniels. He would leave the game and later undergo surgery to address a right orbital bone fracture. [14] After missing four games, Williams started sporadically for the Thunder until forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl suffered a right ankle sprain which made him the full-time starter. With guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sidelined, Williams scored 27 points and helped rallied the Thunder from a 20-point second-half deficit against the San Antonio Spurs on November 30, 2022. [15] The next day, he was named NBA Rookie of the Month for October/November after averaging 10.7 points on 52.4% shooting, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. He became the third Thunder rookie to win Rookie of the Month honors after Russell Westbrook and Josh Giddey. [16] On January 31, 2023, Williams was named to the 2023 Rising Stars Challenge after averaging 12.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 steals in 46 games. Against the Utah Jazz, Williams recorded a career-high 32 points on 12–15 shooting in a 129–119 win. [17] Without Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams was one point shy of tying his then career-high with 31 points along with 4 steals in a 137–134 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. [18] After the Thunder fell two games under .500, Williams had a putback with less than a second in a 107–106 win after Josh Giddey's hook shot rolled off. He led the Thunder with 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists and joined Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to have three or more games with at least 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a season as a rookie. [19] [20] Williams was later named his second NBA Rookie of the Month award for March and April. [21] In his rookie season, Williams averaged 14.1 points on 52% shooting and finished second in NBA Rookie of the Year voting with 75 second place votes and 16 third place votes. [22] Williams was later named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team becoming the second Thunder player to be named to it and the fifth Thunder player overall to be named to an All-Rookie team. [23]

2023–2024

On December 27, 2023, Williams scored a career-high 36 points in a 129–120 win over the New York Knicks. [24] On January 23, 2024, Williams put up 19 points alongside a game-winning jumpshot in a 111–109 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. [25]

National team career

In preparation for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Williams was selected to the 2023 USA Basketball Men’s Select team alongside Thunder teammate Chet Holmgren. [26]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

NBA

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2022–23 Oklahoma City 756230.3.521.356.8124.53.31.4.514.1
2023–24 Oklahoma City 717131.3.540.427.8144.04.51.1.619.1
Career14613330.8.532.395.8134.23.91.3.516.5

Play-in

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2023 Oklahoma City 2236.1.375.308.7504.03.52.5.514.0
Career2236.1.375.308.7504.03.52.5.514.0

College

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2019–20 Santa Clara 332225.5.436.352.7632.81.91.30.57.7
2020–21 Santa Clara 181731.6.399.274.7574.12.31.20.611.5
2021–22 Santa Clara 333334.8.513.396.8094.44.21.20.518.0
Career847230.5.469.352.7853.72.91.2.512.6

Personal life

Williams was born in Denver, Colorado but moved to Arizona when he was 7 years old. His parents – Ronald and Nicole Williams – were both members of the United States Air Force. His younger brother, Cody Williams, is a consensus five-star recruit who plays college basketball at Colorado. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Oladipo</span> American basketball player (born 1992)

Kehinde Babatunde Victor Oladipo is a retired American professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers, where in the 2012–2013 season he was named the Sporting News Men's College Basketball Player of the Year, the Co-NABC Defensive Player of the Year, and a first-team All-American by the USBWA and Sporting News. That year, he was also named the winner of the Adolph Rupp Trophy, given annually to the top player in men's NCAA Division I basketball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Holt (basketball)</span> Filipino-American basketball player

Stephen Jeffrey Carino Holt is an American-Filipino professional basketball player for the Terrafirma Dyip of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The 6'4" guard played college basketball for Saint Mary's College of California before playing professionally in the NBA Development League, Australia, Spain, Poland, Kazakhstan, Slovenia, and Romania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grant Williams (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1998)

Grant Dean Williams is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Williams played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers. He was drafted 22nd overall in the 2019 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics and reached the NBA Finals with the team in 2022.

Kenrich Lo Williams, nicknamed "Kenny Hustle", is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the TCU Horned Frogs of the Big 12 Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jalen Smith</span> American professional basketball player

Jalen Rasheed Smith is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association. Nicknamed "Stix", he played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Clarke</span> Canadian-American basketball player

Brandon Clarke is a Canadian-American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and San José State University Spartans men’s basketball team. He was drafted 21st overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019 NBA draft and then immediately traded to the Grizzlies. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jalen Green</span> American basketball player (born 2002)

Jalen Romande Green is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a consensus five-star recruit and the best shooting guard in the 2020 class, with ESPN ranking him number one overall. He finished his high school career at Prolific Prep in Napa, California, and he chose to forgo college basketball to join the NBA G League Ignite team in its inaugural season. Green has won three gold medals with the United States at the junior level and was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup. Green was selected by the Houston Rockets with the second overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He is the third player in the NBA of Filipino descent, following Raymond Townsend and Jordan Clarkson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franz Wagner (basketball)</span> German basketball player (born 2001)

Franz Jacob Wagner is a German professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alperen Şengün</span> Turkish basketball player (born 2002)

Alperen Şengün is a Turkish professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the senior Turkish national team. A center, Şengün is considered one of the best Turkish-born prospects in the NBA, having been the youngest player to win the Basketball Super League's Most Valuable Player Award in 2021 at the age of 18 years and 10 months. He was selected with the 16th pick in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Kuminga</span> Congolese basketball player (born 2002)

Jonathan Malangu Kuminga is a Congolese professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A consensus five-star recruit and the top small forward in the 2021 class, he chose to forgo his college eligibility and reclassify to the 2020 class to join the NBA G League Ignite. Kuminga finished his high school career at The Patrick School in Hillside, New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Nembhard</span> Canadian basketball player (born 2000)

Andrew William Nembhard is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Florida Gators and the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santi Aldama</span> Spanish basketball player (born 2001)

Santiago Aldama Toledo is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Loyola Greyhounds. He was named most valuable player (MVP) of the 2019 FIBA U18 European Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jalen Suggs</span> American basketball player (born 2001)

Jalen Rashon Suggs is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. He was selected by the Magic with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drew Timme</span> American basketball player (born 2000)

Andrew Matthew Timme is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. He was a three-time consensus All-American selection, including first-team honors as a senior in 2023. He was twice voted the WCC Player of the Year and ended his career as Gonzaga's all-time leading scorer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chet Holmgren</span> American basketball player (born 2002)

Chet Thomas Holmgren is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted 2nd overall in the 2022 NBA draft, he played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. A consensus five-star recruit and the number-one player in the 2021 class, he stands 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) and plays the center and power forward positions.

Jalen Montez Duren is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Memphis Tigers. A center, he stands 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) and weighs 250 pounds (113 kg). He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2021 class. Duren was ranked as the top player in the 2022 class before reclassifying.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bennedict Mathurin</span> Canadian basketball player (born 2002)

Bennedict Richard Felder Mathurin is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats, where he was named a consensus second-team All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year after his sophomore season. He was selected by the Pacers with the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He was voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2023 and finished fourth in voting for the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year award.

The 2022–23 Oklahoma City Thunder season was the 15th season of the franchise in Oklahoma City and the 57th in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Brandin "Podz" Podziemski is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini before transferring to the Santa Clara Broncos.

The 2023–24 Oklahoma City Thunder season is the 16th season of the franchise in Oklahoma City and the 58th in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

References

  1. ↑ "Breaking through the cracks: Perry High product Jalen Williams blossoming at Santa Clara". cronkitenews.com. February 14, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Santa Clara Broncos: JALEN WILLIAMS's Bio". santaclarabroncos.com.
  3. ↑ "247Sports: Jalen Williams's Recruiting". 247sports.com.
  4. ↑ "UC Santa Cruz vs. Santa Clara Box Score (Men), November 5, 2019". sports-reference.com.
  5. ↑ "Mississippi Valley State vs. Santa Clara Box Score (Men), December 20, 2019". sports-reference.com.
  6. ↑ "Santa Clara vs. Pepperdine Box Score (Men), March 6, 2021". sports-reference.com.
  7. ↑ "Hawaii vs. Santa Clara Box Score (Men), November 30, 2021". sports-reference.com.
  8. ↑ "Brigham Young vs. Santa Clara Box Score (Men), January 27, 2022". sports-reference.com.
  9. ↑ "Santa Clara vs. Washington State Box Score (Men), March 15, 2022". sports-reference.com.
  10. ↑ "Jalen Williams To Test The NBA Draft Waters". santaclarabroncos.com. March 31, 2022.
  11. ↑ "2022 NBA DRAFT PROFILE: Jalen Williams". nba.com.
  12. ↑ "Thunder Welcomes 2022 Draft Class". nba.com. June 24, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Jalen Williams Selected 12th Overall In 2022 NBA Draft". santaclarabroncos.com. June 23, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Thunder's Jalen Williams has surgery for orbital bone fracture". espn.com. October 21, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Spurs vs Thunder - November 30, 2022". nba.com. November 30, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Jalen Williams, Bennedict Mathurin named Kia Rookies of the Month". nba.com. December 1, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Jazz vs Thunder - March 5, 2023". nba.com. March 5, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Hornets vs Thunder - March 28, 2023". nba.com. March 28, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Pistons vs Thunder - March 29, 2023". nba.com. March 29, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Only 3 rookies in Thunder history have 3 games with 25+ PTS, 5+ AST, and 5+ REB: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jalen Williams". twitter.com. March 29, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Paolo Banchero, Jalen Williams named Kia NBA Rookies of the Month". nba.com. April 11, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Paolo Banchero named 2022-23 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year". nba.com. April 25, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Jalen Williams Named to All-Rookie First Team". nba.com. May 8, 2023.
  24. ↑ Postrado, Jay (December 28, 2023). "Jalen Williams' efficient game in Thunder vs. Knicks has never been seen before". ClutchPoints. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  25. ↑ House, Alex (January 23, 2024). "Thunder's Jalen Williams gets brutally honest on shooting like 'trash' before game-winner". ClutchPoints. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Holmgren and Williams Named to USA Select Team". nba.com. July 24, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.