The NBA is currently in a relative collective pause as teams prepare for the 2023-24 season to start in October.
With that said, this dry period provides a perfect opportunity to reflect on the current state of the league and the influx of talent it possesses. To celebrate the imminent start of the season, HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina ranked the 24 best shooting guards in the league.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a pair of entrants on this list. Jalen Williams was ranked No. 16 as he prepares to play his second season following an impressive rookie campaign.
“We fully expect a breakout campaign from Thunder guard Jalen Williams next year, at least if his rookie season was any indication of his potential. Williams finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2022-23 and with good reason, displaying smooth midrange scoring skills, a fantastic pull-up bucket-getting package and a calmness to his game truly unbecoming of a first-year player. As a rookie, Williams ranked in the NBA’s 81st percentile as an isolation scorer, producing 1.07 points per possession on such plays, a better rate than reigning league MVP Joel Embiid. It will be fun to see how Williams progresses as a second-year player in 2023-24. Even if he maintains his level from 2022-23, he’ll still be a hugely valuable player for Oklahoma City, as he won’t even rank in the NBA’s Top 250 in player salary in 2023-24 – an absolute steal for the Thunder.”
Even though Williams is more of a wing than a traditional shooting guard, it’s nice to see him get some recognition after he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting last season.
