Jalen Williams’ 40-point game for the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Finals quickly put him in the conversation as one of the best sidekicks in the NBA. Some even suggested that Williams could grow into the Scottie Pippen to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Michael Jordan.
Pippen endorsed those comparisons, and admitted he was impressed by what Williams has been able to do.
“He is pretty special,” Pippen told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “I’m enjoying watching him. I see a lot of me in him for sure. I see a guy rising to be one of the top players in this league. He’s definitely a player that is capable of being able to lead that franchise to multiple championships — him and Shai, of course.”
Pippen added that the more expansive offensive freedom afforded to players in the modern NBA means Williams could be capable of surpassing his own accomplishments.
“I don’t even want to put a cap on him to say that he’s going to be me,” Pippen said. “I see him being greater, if I can say that. Just because of where the game is today. They have offensive freedom. We didn’t have that. We mostly ran out of a system. These guys have the freedom to shoot 3-balls and things of that nature.”
Williams and Pippen have a good bit in common. Both were under-the-radar recruits who would up at small schools and played themselves into the lottery and blossomed into stars. Williams is having his moment in the Finals, though he had already finished as runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting before becoming an All-Star earlier this year.
Williams has had his growing pains even in this playoff season. All of it is paying off now in the Finals, with the Thunder one win away from a championship.
