“ Good question! », enthuses Shai Gilgeous-Alexander asked about possible All-Star selection of his teammate Jalen Williams. “SGA” had already had the opportunity to express itself in this sense a week ago. At the end of the Thunder's big victory against the Wizards, he's back on track.
“ It would only be fair for him to be an All-Star. We don't have this record just because of an All-Star, a good player. You have to have a team, a collective, a second All-Star, a very talented player to help the many times I'm not on the field. And he carries the load on offense. It averages twenty points with great efficiency, we are first in the West. And for these reasons, I think his case should be sealed. But that's just my opinion “, he argues.
With nearly 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists on average, the winger continues his progress. And being the lieutenant of one of the big favorites for the MVP trophy within the best team in the West are all arguments to land a first selection. And there is no question of doing “too much” to force destiny.
Don't force destiny
“ He lets the game come to him, never forces it. It's like a young player overcoming the obstacle. You have these aspirations, these goals and often, you want it so much that you end up forcing things on the ground to achieve them. I fell into this trap myself during my career. I didn't see that in Jalen. He always lets the game come to him naturally. And for that, we are a better team », continues “SGA”.
His teammate also aims to break away. “ I don't really care about it. I want to do more to win matches. What happens will happen. What he's talking about, once you get caught up in that, it starts to hinder the team's success. It's cool, it would be great to go “, he admits all the same.
“ My college is there, I'll give you the reasons why I would like to go there (laughs)! » laughs the former Santa Clara, in San Francisco Bay, where the all-star game will be held. “At the same time, we have a bigger goal than going to the All-Star. I'm trying to constantly improve my game to be able to be very good for the playoffs in April. I don't think about it too much “, Jalen Williams stands out again when thinking about collective objectives.
| Jalen Williams | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | OKC | 75 | 30 | 52.1 | 35.6 | 81.2 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 14.1 |
| 2023-24 | OKC | 71 | 31 | 54.0 | 42.7 | 81.4 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 19.1 |
| 2024-25 | OKC | 38 | 32 | 47.7 | 34.2 | 78.5 | 0.8 | 4.9 | 5.7 | 5.2 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 20.6 |
| Total | 184 | 31 | 51.7 | 37.9 | 80.6 | 0.8 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 17.3 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
