Pippen Sees Jalen Williams as Future Star: A Rising Guard with Potential to Be Even Greater
In the 2023 NBA Finals, Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams has been a standout player, increasing his scoring total in each of the first five games of the series. His 40-point performance in Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers has caught the attention of many, including former NBA player Scottie Pippen.
While Williams doesn't always take center stage, he is often the second-leading scorer behind league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Together, they have combined for a whopping 291 points in the Finals, which is only bettered by three other tandems in NBA history.
Pippen, who was Jordan's Hall of Fame sidekick during a six-championship run in the '90s, has drawn comparisons to Williams. In an interview with ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Pippen said he sees a lot of himself in Williams and believes he has the potential to be even greater than he was.
"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, just because of where the game is today. They have offensive freedom. We didn't have that. These guys have the freedom to shoot 3-balls and things of that nature. Players that are playing in today's game have a chance to be better than players in the past because of the ability to shoot the ball."
Williams is a 38.2% career 3-point shooter and has already shown his prowess from deep in his first three years in the league. He went 3 for 5 from long range in Game 5 against the Pacers. In contrast, Pippen shot just 32.6% from long range during his 17-season career and didn't have a season with 100-plus 3s until he was 29.
The parallels between Pippen and Williams are uncanny, as both were unheralded high school prospects who blossomed at mid-majors and eventually broke out in the NBA. Pippen played at Central Arkansas, while Williams played at Santa Clara. They each maintained their guard skills while adding more height and ultimately landing in the first round of their respective drafts, separated by 35 years.
"He is pretty special," Pippen said of Williams. "I see a guy rising to be one of the top players in this league. He's definitely a player that is capable of leading that franchise to multiple championships — him and Shai, of course."
With Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way, the Thunder could clinch their first championship against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night. The future looks bright for Jalen Williams, and with comparisons to a Hall of Famer like Scottie Pippen, he could be on his way to becoming one of the greatest players in NBA history.
