Through four games in the 2025 NBA Finals, Jalen Williams’ play seemed to be remiss. Sure, he was averaging 22.3 points per game, but he was only converting on 40.6 percent of his field goal attempts. Moreover, Williams’ production at home fell to 18.0 points per game on 33.3 percent shooting. It wasn’t atrocious, but it wasn’t ideal either and with the NBA Finals now a virtual best-of-three series, something had to give.
And boy did it give in Game 5.
There was a different level of assertiveness with Williams. He was running the break and making cuts with more energy, feeding his teammates with crisp passes, and clearly out for blood. The Oklahoma City Thunder needed every single point of Williams’ postseason career-high 40 points in their 120-119 victory as the Indiana Pacers mounted a comeback in spite of Tyrese Haliburton’s off night. Numbers aside, it was clear that Williams’ Thunder teammates were feeding off his energy and not just his passes and thanks to that, OKC is now a win away from reaching the summit of the NBA.
Heading into the NBA Finals, Williams was seen as an X-factor given the focus that would be given to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and how Chet Holmgren would have his hands full with the Pacers’ frontcourt. Those, among others, left opportunities for Williams to maximize. Open shots and easier defenders to beat were there to name a few, but the first few games certainly raised some questions. It was only a matter of time, though, until the Santa Clara Bronco made his mark in the NBA Finals.
The Denver, Colorado native is in the midst of his best season yet, as he was not only named an All-Star for the first time, but he was also selected for the All-NBA and NBA All-Defensive teams. He has been a beacon of consistency in his three seasons with the Thunder, but he’s also now proving his mettle on the biggest stage. It hasn’t exactly been perfect, but the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft continues to persevere and his efforts and his production have given indications of that.
At 24, Jalen Williams has become the most accomplished player in his draft class, besting his teammate Holmgren and top overall pick Paolo Banchero. He doesn’t have a signature move that makes him unguardable, but that hasn’t stopped him from making a dent in his first NBA Finals appearance. Yes, a go-to move is still an asset to have in basketball, but when you do a lot of things well, that makes you irreplaceable too. And in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder saw how much Jalen Williams meant to them. https://x.com/clutchpoints/status/1934840834311991346?s=61
