OKC Thunder Star Jalen Williams Has Entered the NBA Finals MVP Chat
Throughout NBA history, few teams have reached the mountaintop without a bona fide superstar in the No. 2 role.
And after Jalen Williams erupted for 40 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder's 120-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5, it's starting to feel like he's worthy of the mantle previously held by the likes of Kobe Bryant, Scottie Pippen and Kevin McHale.
Of course, that's not all. Williams may be playing well enough to join an even more exclusive club: the No. 2 who played well enough in the Finals to snag MVP from the face of the franchise.
Jaylen Brown just pulled that off last season. Kevin Durant did it twice for the Golden State Warriors. Tony Parker won a Finals MVP with Tim Duncan in his prime.
Given the way J-Dub completely took over down the stretch in Game 5, particularly after the Pacers cut the lead to two in fourth quarter, plenty of momentum has shifted his way.
After dropping 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting, Williams is now averaging 25.8 points. That's still well shy of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 32.4, but the case is obviously built on a lot more than points.
First of all, though his steal and block totals aren't close to SGA's, J-Dub also has fewer lowlights on defense in this series.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been on the wrong end of several blow-bys, while Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Andrew Nembhard—Indiana's starting five—is shooting 10-of-28 from the field when Williams is the nearest defender.
And, as alluded to above, Williams' takeover of Game 5 couldn't have come at a more crucial moment.
The unrelenting Pacers, who've beaten plenty of odds through a playoff run packed with seemingly impossible comebacks, had cut an 18-point lead all the way down to two with 8:30 left in the fourth quarter.
Had Indiana been able to maintain that momentum and pulled off the upset on the road, it'd be headed back to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for a closeout opportunity.
But right after the Siakam three that made it 95-93, Williams hit a triple of his own. Not long after that he drove right, bounced off some contact and banked it softly through the rim. Then, he froze Nembhard with a shot fake, got to the paint and lofted a giant killer high off the glass. To top off the run, he iced the game with a turnaround fadeaway from the elbow.
Add a free throw, and Williams had a game-high 10 points in the final 8:30.
It was a vivid display of what makes Williams so special. He combines his 6'6" frame and 7'2" wingspan with three-level scoring and an ability to change pace in a way few other wings can.
Leveraging all of his skills through that fourth quarter put the series in a vice grip for OKC, which is now an overwhelming minus-1800 favorite to secure the title. It also shortened Williams' odds for Finals MVP down to plus-700.
He is, to be sure, still a big underdog to take home the award. SGA is averaging 32.4 points, 5.0 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.8 blocks. His raw plus-minus is higher than J-Dub's.
But Williams made himself the story on Monday. And if he has another big game in a closeout win in Game 6, he has a chance to secure the Bill Russell trophy.
Of course, even if he doesn't, Williams has had the kind of Finals that puts him on a trajectory similar to that of some of the stars listed above. And that's a crucial part of the Thunder being on the verge of their first championship since 1979 (when they were the Seattle SuperSonics).
SGA has understandably gotten the bulk of the attention and credit for OKC's historic regular season and push for the title, but he certainly hasn't caused all of this by himself.
Williams made Third Team All-NBA. And he may soon add a Finals MVP to his resume.
