Before Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams’ second NBA postseason, he reflected on his first experience and the contrast between the regular season and the playoffs. The Thunder are favorites to win the NBA Finals. Before finding out who their first-round opponent will be, Jalen knows the shift that comes with playoff basketball, coming off of Oklahoma City’s Western Conference semifinal loss to the Dallas Mavericks last year.

Williams reflected on last year’s experience after Thunder practice.

“There’s a lot more eyes watching. A lot more opinions and a lot more outside noise that can distract you from a goal,” Williams said. “So, just taking that into account, and trying to get better, and win these days while we’re not playing — I think that’s the biggest thing for me, and the rest of the team, too.”

For Williams, staying focused without getting ahead of yourself or too down is key.

“You can’t get too high, you can’t get too low. Honestly, I think I did a pretty good job last year; I just kind of stayed even-keeled. There’s going to be a lot of ups and downs during the games, and at the end of the day, I think for us, no matter what’s going on, it’s whoever can respond the best, for these games, and that’s something that we’re going to try to do.”

Jalen Williams and the Thunder will face the winner of Thursday’s play-in tournament matchup between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s ‘trust’ in Thunder teammates

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Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein explained how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s trust in teammates makes him an ideal leader. In Hartenstein’s first season with the Thunder, he noticed how that trust made a difference.

Despite Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP-caliber status, Hartenstein says SGA doesn’t change his approach.

“The trust he has in his teammates. I think that’s huge, especially going into a playoff series where he might see every coverage in the book, have that trust in his teammates, but also being fearless,” Hartenstein said. “He’s a player that no matter how big the stage is, he’s going to show up offensively, and also defensively. I have the most trust in him, and I think our whole team does.”

Gilgeous-Alexander’s 1.7 steals per game finished in the top five for steals per game in the NBA this season while leading the league with 32.7 points per game and 6.4 assists as a top candidate for this year’s Most Valuable Player.