After a wild 40-point performance in Game 5, Jalen Williams has been making NBA fans rave about his abilities. With his combination of size, skill, and role on the OKC Thunder, it’s hard not to compare him to someone like Scottie Pippen. Recently, ESPN’s Tim McMahon sat down with the Hall of Famer to talk about Williams and if the comparisons seem fair.
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Jalen Williams, or “JDub” as they call him, has had a phenomenal NBA Finals so far. He’s averaging 25.8 points with 4.2 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game. Williams has been essential to the Thunder as the Robin to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Batman. Wherever the MVP has been lacking, his sidekick has been making up.
When McMahon got to sit down and talk with Scottie Pippen about the Finals, he couldn’t stop talking about Williams. Mainly because he’d been hearing the comparisons of the rising star to himself. Furthermore, he thought they were justified.
“I asked Scottie Pippen what he thought of the comparison. He says Jalen Williams is a special player. Definitely sees a lot of himself when he’s watching Jalen Williams play,” McMahon said on NBA Today.
For Williams, it must be special to see one of the all-time greats say that he reminds you of himself. Pippen wasn’t just a good player as a sidekick to Michael Jordan; he was a great player in his own right at the end of his career. He could do almost everything on the court and was an elite defender.
But Pippen didn’t want to cap William’s potential at just himself despite seeing similarities. Not only that, but the six-time NBA Champ said that Williams has the potential to be better than him. “But he said, ‘I don’t want to cap him on the comparison to me. He can be even greater,” McMahon said of Pippen.
“He pointed out, look, in this era of basketball, with the offensive freedom, with the way that they’re shooting the three ball. The pace, the space, Jalen Williams has an opportunity to have an even higher ceiling,” he added.
It’s crazy to think that Williams could potentially develop into a player of this caliber. And they’re lofty expectations to set up for the young forward. But it’s hard to deny that he looks and feels like a rising star in the NBA. He made the All-Star team for the first time this season and has increased all of his season averages every year he’s been in the league.
Not only does Williams’ style of play draw a similar comparison to Pippen, though. McMahon pointed out that they’re upbringings were quite similar as well.
“It’s not just the situation playing alongside an MVP. Their backstories are similar as well. No name coming out of high school. Sudden growth spurt a few years later, boom, there are these lottery prospects,” he said.
“Scottie Pippen got better and better and better, boosted his scoring and assists in his first five years in the league. Jalen Williams is on that same track.”
For these reasons, Pippen isn’t upset at all with the comparison to the Thunder forward. As ridiculous as they may sound to some, the trajectory is on the right path as of now. Maybe in 5 or 6 years, we’ll really start to see what McMahon is talking about.
Although Pippen sounds fairly confident that Williams will reach his skill level one day. “That’s going to continue. You never forget being overlooked. His knife is always going to be sharp,” Pippen told McMahon.
That chip on the shoulder brought Pippen to a star-studded career filled with several trophies and awards. One has to wonder if Williams and the Thunder are on a similar path.
Only time will tell, but with an MVP, a great second option in Williams, and a supporting cast full of rowdy defenders, it’s hard not to envision OKC as the next NBA dynasty. Even if they lose Game 7, as unfortunate as it would be, they’re set up for future success with SGA, Williams, Chet Holmgren, and a treasure trove of draft picks.
