Jalen Williams proved his potential through only three seasons in the NCAA. Now, he's taking his talents to the NBA. The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Williams 12th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.
This is huge for the Thunder. Williams was highly regarded coming into the draft as the sixth-ranked shooting guard and 21st overall in his class.
Originally from Gilbert, Arizona, Williams spent his three collegiate seasons with the Santa Clara Broncos. He was a main contributor all three years, especially his junior year. Williams averaged 18 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 steals this past season. He led the Broncos in both minutes and points per game, starting in all of the 33 games he played.
Despite Williams' contributions, the team didn't have much postseason success. They fell to the Washington State Cougars in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament.
Williams is the only player from Santa Clara within the top 100 2022 NBA Draft prospects. According to CBS Sports, he has a lot of strengths to bring to the Thunder. The 6-6 guard was rated in the 97th percentile as a spot-up shooter, shooting 39.6% from three. Williams also has “high-level role player potential” along with a high basketball IQ.
Whether the Thunder decides to utilize Williams' potential as a role player or not, he should make an immediate impact in his rookie year.
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