With Jalen Williams on the roster, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a bright future ahead of them. Ever since the departure of their veteran All-Stars, things have not been the same at all. OKC was once a major threat in the Western Conference, especially to the teams that were dominating. They were one of the biggest rivals of the Golden State Warriors who won three titles in the last decade.Not all good things last forever.
Since then, players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have picked pace emerging as the newest face of the franchise. SGA has been an exceptional scorer and a very good three-point shooter as well. Similarly, Josh Giddey has also proven that he is a lethal weapon on the roster. The Australian basketball star also becomes an offensive threat from time to time. His play-making ability is consistent and efficient as well.
Similarly, Jalen Williams is slowly on the rise. He has transformed into a player fans need to keep an eye out for. Williams was not necessarily the best prospect of his draft class as he also had a slow start to his career. But he eventually picked up momentum and helped take charge of the ball within the paint. It wasn’t until after the 2023 All-Star break that Williams showed his true colors. He’s been making a mark as a potential candidate to build a team around.
Fans React to OKC’s Jalen Williams’ insane physical transformation
Jalen Williams made his entrance during the 2022 NBA Draft, a class that features players like Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, and Jabari Smith. He averaged 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. Even though his major stats show that he’s offensively gifted, Williams is very good at defending as well. He averaged an impressive 1.4 steals per game with an efficiency rating of 15.6. His PER was much higher than Rookie of the Year Banchero’s 14.9.
Jalen Williams been in the LAB 😳💪 pic.twitter.com/1qqGOBFkPj
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 13, 2023
He recently went through an injury that hasn’t been disclosed to the public yet. Unfortunately, the Thunder and benching him for the remainder of the Summer League as well. But a recent image of his body transformation went viral on social media. Fans were pretty amused by it as well. One fan said, “Drug test incoming,” while another said, “Look like he’s about to have a great year.” Here are a few more fan reactions.
Look like he’s about to have a great year.
— Marcus (@mgoodethegreat) July 13, 2023
Drug test incoming
— Marathon Pace 🏁 (@marathonpace67) July 13, 2023
He’s not in the NFL does he know that?
— Troy🏆🏆🏆 (@troyboy621) July 13, 2023
But do some more calf raises lol my man look top heavy in this certain pic
— SuperHERos (@PriorityHER) July 13, 2023
@dariusgarland22 take notes
— Joshua (@Jbootey) July 13, 2023
The changes may not be too evident at first glance but if you have a close look, Williams has put on a bit more muscle in his upper body. This will allow him to take more damage as well. His height and length have been his biggest advantages from the start. During the 2022 Draft Combine, his wingspan-to-height ratio was the highest. For someone as big as him, Williams is also a great ball handler.