Before All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander emerged as an MVP candidate in 2024-25, Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams had a recurring saying regarding Gilgeous-Alexander's dominance: “Watch the games.” Williams would repeat the line during his media availability. It was a message to NBA fans everywhere. Perhaps not seeing the overall picture beyond box scores, highlights, and narratives surrounding SGA and the Thunder, Jalen campaigned for Shai.

Williams, alongside teammate Alex Caruso, discussed how “Watch the games” still resonates today for fans skeptical of Oklahoma City despite its ascension to the top of the Western Conference, and the best record in the NBA (64-14), per The Young Man and the Three podcast.

“It started off because obviously Shai. It's very easy to take that for granted when you just look at it on paper, and you're just like he had 30 [points] again or he had 40 [points],” Williams said. “Even as a teammate, I feel like you probably get a kind little desensitized to it because it's just like he goes in there, and he's not loud about it. So, it goes under the radar. And then, obviously, the betting and stuff that happens now.

“People aren't actually watching what's going on. So, we get stuck wanting to go back to this nostalgic era, and we're not really appreciating how good [this league is],” Williams concluded.

Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams believes the association's overlooked, similar to how the Thunder aren't considered favorites by many to win the NBA title.

Alex Caruso's take on the NBA, Thunder's elite basketball

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Despite the Thunder's blowout loss to the Lakers on Sunday, they still hold a 12.5-game lead ahead of the Rockets for first place in the Western Conference. Thunder guard Alex Caruso agreed with Williams' take regarding the way the fans take in NBA basketball today.

“People complain about what the NBA has become, but it's like if you sit down and watch the games, there's still good basketball if you're watching the top half of the league,” Caruso said. “If you watch good basketball, there's still elite rotations, elite ball movement, elite shotmaking — that's part of it. But a lot of that gets forgotten about because it's just like he [Williams] said, look at this over/under line or look at how many threes he shot instead of the actual substance of the game.”

Williams, Caruso, and the Thunder will look to snap their two-game skid in a rematch against the Lakers on Tuesday.