Jalen Williams<\/h3>\n
Last season, Jalen Williams<\/a> faced a lot of criticism for his performance during the series against the Dallas Mavericks. After playing well in the first two games, he followed it up with 16, 14, and 12 points in the next three, going 1-7 on three-pointers. OKC lost two of those three games. In Game 6, he responded, but the team didn\u2019t, and they were sent home.<\/p>\n This time around, against the Denver Nuggets, Williams has played below average through Games 4-6. He posted 10, 18, and only six points in the last game. If the Thunder lose Game 7 against the Nuggets and he doesn\u2019t have a good game, Williams will face even more criticism. Then, the rumors about whether he can be their number two option, or if the Thunder should trade him will rise.<\/p>\n To be fair, Russell Westbrook<\/a> is playing on a minimum contract. He is no longer the big star who should carry games. But after playing awesome in the first two games, Westbrook has cooled off. In the last four games, he has had eight, six, four, and eight points. He has gone 3-18 from behind the arc during that stretch.<\/p>\n Westbrook might not need to score a lot of points, but he cannot waste shots like that. In Game 7, every shot matters. If Westbrook can score in double digits on six to eight shots while providing defense and energy, that would be extremely beneficial for Denver.<\/p>\n Simply put, the Joker is the best player on the Nuggets, but history shows they go as far as Jamal Murray<\/a> takes them. In Game 6, with the Nuggets facing elimination, he scored 25 points to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists. Here is a stat<\/a> for you: the Nuggets are 9-3 when facing elimination with Murray in the lineup.<\/p>\n Often, role players decide the outcome of crucial games. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, that means Isaiah Joe<\/a> needs to get out of his shooting slump. He was their best three-point shooter during the regular season.<\/p>\n Yet, in the last four games, he has gone 0-6 from behind the arc. When he is not producing from behind the arc, Joe doesn\u2019t get many minutes. After the first two games, he has averaged 5.8 minutes per game. When he hits open shots, the Thunder are that much more dangerous. The good news is role players often play better at home, and Thunder host Game 7 against the Nuggets.<\/p>\n Gilgeous-Alexander might be on the way to his first MVP award. But if he doesn\u2019t step up in Game 7, he might continue the \u201ccurse\u201d of <\/span>MVP winners<\/a> failing to win the <\/span>championship<\/a>. In fact, the regular season MVP hasn\u2019t won the title since 2015, when <\/span>Steph Curry<\/a> won his first MVP. We can go even further down the road. No MVP has made the NBA Finals since Curry in 2016.<\/span><\/p>\nRussell Westbrook<\/h3>\n
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Jamal Murray<\/h3>\n
Isaiah Joe<\/h3>\n
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/h3>\n