The success of the Oklahoma City Thunder continued on Monday night. They destroyed the Chicago Bulls, winning a commanding 145-117 ball game in the comforts of Paycom Center. The recent result offered an eye-opening experience on Jalen Williams.
Williams finished the game with 23 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals during his 24 minutes of playing time. The Thunder star reaffirmed why he has taken the leap to a clear-cut All-Star in the 2024-25 NBA season. One area of his game has grown tremendously in this year's campaign, leading to the improvements seen on the court.
Williams has been a strong attacker of the rim this season. The young star has scored 72.5 percent of his baskets within 0-3 feet of the net.
The third-year pro is also enjoying the highest free throw rate of his career thus far. Williams is averaging 4.2 attempts per game at the line this season. That is a notable increase over his 3.1 free throw attempts per game in the 2023-24 NBA season.
After the game, Williams was asked about what led to the increase in that category this season. The former Santa Clara star revealed the reason as to why that has been the case.
"[I'm] just trying to get downhill more, finishing through contact. I've gotten out of the zone of worrying about getting to the free-throw line or not."
-Jalen Williams
I know it gets said a lot but small market Oklahoma City being a title favorite while having the draft capital and young talent to blow any offer for any available star out of the water this summer is a masterclass in team building.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) April 1, 2025
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That approach is certainly a healthy one for Williams. Regardless of whether the whistle is blown, attacking all the same is a great mindset to have.
The improvements exhibited by Williams this season is one of the biggest reasons why the Thunder have been so successful in the 2024-25 NBA season. Now, the question becomes how much of this leap carries over to the NBA Playoffs.
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This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 8:41 AM.