OKC's Jalen Williams is top 75 in per-game value
Corey Robinson looks at Jalen Williams' first season in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder and makes the case for him as one of the league's top rookies.
Video Transcript
COREY ROBINSON: The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to hang around their race for a play-in tournament spot, as their 32 and 35 record has them tied with 10th place Utah and two games behind the fifth place Clippers in the loss column. And it certainly helped to get rookie wing Jalen Williams back as he was back on the court.
After a two-game absence for the Thunders, a March 11th win over a reeling New Orleans Pelicans squad, playing 37 minutes, the man they call J Dub shot 7 for 10 from the field and 3 for 3 from the foul line, putting up 17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. The shooting numbers are what stand out, as the right-handed Williams missed the prior two games after spraining his right wrist.
He's now providing top 75 per game value in 9-cat formats, joining Utah's Walker Kessler as the only rookies who can make that claim. Look, it pretty much seems like Orlando's Paolo Banchero will win Rookie of the Year honors, so that may be out of play for Williams. But he's played well enough to merit a spot on the league's First Team All Rookie squad.
