From J-Dub to J-Dunk

In the 2022 rookie introductory presser Jalen Williams from Santa Clara declared that his nickname is ‘J-Dub.’

But after seeing Williams compete for OKC in his last four games that nickname might have been premature.

Using his physicality to his advantage, Williams has a certain tenacity when driving to the basket. His ability to finish through contact is astonishing. No matter what angle, Williams gets the ball through the net.

Yet its not his drives that the Thunder have taken a liking to. Williams has been embarrassing opponents one dunk at a time. With powerful strides and a seven-foot-two wingspan, Williams yields a perfect frame for dunking.

In Oklahoma City’s loss to Houston on Saturday, Williams began the third quarter two posterizing dunks that made the crowd go wild.

Teammate Josh Giddey said,”J Dub gave us a big spark in the second (half) off the start. He really set the tone, got to the rim and finished a lot.”

Williams has a way of creeping into gaps the defense leaves open and initiating backdoor cuts for easy lobs. It looks as though he’s jaguar lurking in the shadows waiting for the right moment to pounce.

When thinking about where to cut Williams explained,” Just playing off Josh (Giddey), you know everybody kind of looks at him (and) what he’s doing I think is where I’m kind of gonna be successful.”

Definitely finding success in his spacing, Williams brings patience to his positioning. Once he gathers his feet and soars to the rim, it’s pretty much a done deal. Utilizing his length, cocking his arm back and crashing the ball through the basket, Williams can shame any defense.

Most players see this kind of move as a domination play, or one to pump an ego. But when asked how he dunks which such power Williams said,”usually just try and dunk it quick to get back on defense.”

Williams is a true culture fit for Oklahoma City. That being said, with this exciting facet of J-Dub’s game exposed his nickname should officially be shifted to J-Dunk.