#12 Pick Jalen Williams looks to energize the Thunder with his Scoring ability.
Prospect Overview
Exceptionally long wing who took a major leap as a jump shooter and shot creator in his third year at Santa Clara and showed his work at the NBA Draft Combine.
About Jalen Williams
Jalen Williams is a long, smooth small forward who turned a corner in his development as a junior at Santa Clara. A lightly regarded prospect following his senior year at Perry High School (AZ), the Gilbert, Arizona native averaged 7.4 points and 1.8 assists per game as a true freshman carving out a role in the Broncos’ starting lineup in West Coast Conference play. Making strides as a sophomore, Williams really turned the corner as a junior under Head Coach Herb Sendak averaging 18 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists over 34.8 minutes per game to earn All-WCC first team honors.
• Measured standing 6’5.75 in shoes with a solid 209-pound frame and a remarkable 7’2.25 wingspan at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, Williams is one of the longest players in recent history relative to his height. Posting impressive athletic testing numbers but doing much of his scoring being fluid with the ball, the 21-year-old is a somewhat unique physical specimen.
• Leading the Broncos in scoring on strong efficiency numbers, Williams created his own shot at a high level out of ball screens playing with good pace, toying with defenders, and scoring from all three levels. Using his length to score scoops and floaters inside, creating separation with hesitation moves or subtle changes of speed in the midrange, and even finding the open man effectively in spots, his ability to create off the dribble was a cornerstone of Santa Clara’s offense. Showing good instincts while hunting shots off the ball, he proved to be one of the more well-rounded, consistent offensive players on the west coast as a junior.
• Showing a sense of urgency and using his length while contesting shots, Williams was solid on the defensive end at the collegiate level but was more active on the glass and in the passing lanes some nights than others.
Advanced Stats
• Sometimes bringing the ball up the floor and sometimes getting it on the second side, Williams played a significant role for Santa Clara leading the team in points and assists. Doing much of his damage out of ball screens, his deceptiveness with the ball and ability to score from anywhere on the floor allowed him to put significant pressure on opposing defenses. While he settled for some tough shots in the midrange, he finished at a strong rate, had no trouble creating separation, showed the ability to punish unders from beyond the arc, and scored in bunches when he ran hot from the field.
• With over half of his shots in the half court coming around the rim, Williams scored an impressive 1.25 points per shot around the rim in the half court [73rd percentile] and 1.02 points per floater [86th percentile]. While his vertical jump numbers earned him some buzz at the combine, his efficiency is rooted in his ability to methodically work his way past defenders before using his length and touch to score in close.
• Playing at a somewhat unique pace, using hesitation moves exceptionally well to probe the lane and freeze the defense to create angles, Williams was fairly prolific in the midrange. Averaging 0.79 points per pull-up jump shot [53rd percentile] he often used the threat of his jumper to help himself get downhill.
• Despite playing primarily on the ball, Williams scored 1.41 points per catch and shoot jump shot in the half court [97th percentile] showing terrific natural touch from beyond the arc as a spot up shooter. Cutting off the ball effectively as well, he proved to be more opportunistic than most high-volume pick and roll threats.
• Showing solid vision, Williams leveraged the defensive attention he commanded this season as a passer finding cutters with impressive consistency. While he did much of his heavy lifting scoring the ball, his improvement as a passer and off ball threat gives him promising versatility.
Defensive Analysis
• Possessing rare length, Williams had some positive moments contesting shots and staying active defensively, while opposing offenses looked to run him ragged in the pick and roll. Guarding as many ball screens as almost any player in the country, he had some solid moments blowing up perimeter actions with his length, but was not immune to lapses and gave up quickness in some matchups.
• Coming up with more rebounds and steals some nights than others, Williams has room to be a more consistent factor off the ball as he showed good instincts in spurts.
— Profile by Synergy Sports
