The Thunder had a great NBA Cup run but ultimately fell short. They beat two of their Western Conference rivals, the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets, but they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup Finals 97-81. In the game against the Bucks, the Thunder had their worst shooting performance of the year, going just 5-32 from three. The Thunder’s inconsistent shooting has been a problem for them this year, and it showed up again on the big stage. In addition, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his worst performance of the year with 21 points shooting 8-24 from the field, and only added two assists. However, even though the Thunder lost the NBA Cup, a lot of benefits come with the journey, and those benefits will affect Jalen Williams the most.
Williams, in the three games of the NBA Cup knockout rounds, averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4 assists, along with one steal and one block per game. Those are pretty solid numbers for the second option behind Shai. However, his shooting splits weren’t the greatest, as he shot 39% from the field and 25% from three. The Thunder missed the presence of Chet Holmgren on both sides of the floor in their game against the Bucks. They could have used him for scoring and his defense to help guard Giannis Antetokounmpo. Today, we will examine why Jalen Williams will benefit the most on the Thunder from this experience in the NBA Cup.
Why Jalen Williams Will Benefit The Most From OKC’s NBA Cup Run
More Exposure as The 2nd Option
The Thunder have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA. They have their guy in SGA who finished runner-up in MVP last year and is once again an MVP candidate this year. In addition, they have a bunch of great role players in guys like Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Isaiah Joe. However, the one thing that hasn’t been there consistently is who will be the consistent number two option. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren have shown flashes of being able to be that guy, but it has been inconsistent.
In the NBA Cup, Williams got great exposure by trying to be the second scoring option. In the three games, he showed flashes of being able to do it but also had a lot of struggles through the process. These moments are very important for Williams in helping him develop into the player the Thunder want. Any exposure Willaims can get in these moments will help benefit him in the long run. The NBA Cup offers a lot of areas for young players like Williams to grow and develop. He should be able to take a lot from this experience by building on the things that went well and improving on what didn’t.
Being More Prepared for The Playoffs
Even though the NBA Cup isn’t like the NBA playoffs, it still builds that atmosphere. These games are more important than regular season games as players are trying to claim that extra money. Last year, Williams was in the playoffs for the first time in his career and struggled immensely, especially in the series against the Mavericks. Shai could only do so much and needed help but never got it consistently, and it was a big reason why they lost to the Mavericks. This season, the Thunder made it to the NBA Cup Finals and played in three games in a playoff atmosphere.
Once again, Williams had flashes of being that second scoring option but ultimately struggled like he did last year. However, even though he struggled, he looked way more comfortable in these moments than in the playoffs. This is exactly what the Thunder had hoped to see from him. The Thunder will remain hopeful that he can show more growth in these moments again come April and May in the playoffs. If he can, we will be looking back at these three games in the NBA Cup and saying how important they were to Jalen.
Getting More Opportunities with Holmgren’s Injury
The Thunder have one of the better trios in the NBA, with Shai, Jalen, and Chet. They all benefit from one another and play well with one another. However, having three great players, it is hard sometimes to get all three quality touches every game. With Holmgren being out to injury, this will give Jalen more opportunities with the ball in his hands. This has shown up as Williams has been a completely different player this season when Holmgren went down with an injury. Any games that Williams can play in without Holmgren, especially these NBA Cup games, will go a long way for the Thunder. If he keeps playing like this and gaining more confidence in his ability, he will be way more prepared for the playoffs than he was a year ago.
The Last Word on Jalen Williams
Finally, even though the Thunder didn’t get the results they wanted by winning the NBA Cup, there is a lot the Thunder can take away. Williams isn’t the only one who benefited from the NBA Cup. The Thunder, as a whole, did as well. These three games showed the Thunder what their strengths and weaknesses are. Now, they have a couple of months to improve on those weaknesses and build on their strengths. Playing in these three games will help get the players on the Thunder, like Williams, more prepared for their second attempt in the postseason.
