The Oklahoma City Thunder are young and exciting. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way, Oklahoma City is on pace to make a return to the NBA playoffs this season for the first time since 2020. Gilgeous-Alexander is not just the only Thunder performing at a high level for OKC in the 2023-24 NBA season. Another one of those young Thunder players making a mark is small forward Jalen Williams, who has been learning a lot under the guidance of SGA.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander opens up about Thunder teammate Jalen Williams

Thunder forward Jalen Williams holding a flaming basketball with Paycom Center in background

“He wants to be great so he makes it easy to help him. He's going through a lot of things that I've gone through… It doesn't feel like I'm being his vet, just feels like I'm being his (friend),” Gilgeous-Alexander said after Sunday's 135-127 double-overtime home win over the pesky Toronto Raptors (h/t Clemente Almanza of the Thunder Wire).

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The former Santa Clara Broncos star has proven himself as a valuable piece of the Thunder, who improved to 35-15 after beating the Raptors.

Williams, who has not played in the last three games, including in the Raptors game because of a right ankle injury, has been a vital cog for the Thunder. Oklahoma City entered the matchup versus Toronto with Williams as the team's second-best scorer behind SGA. Williams is putting up 18.7 points per game while shooting at a high clip of 53.9 percent from the field and 45 percent from behind the arc.

Williams was selected by the Thunder 12th overall at the 2022 NBA Draft, four years since SGA entered the league in 2018.