Jalen Williams shuts down popular narrative about OKC Thunder squad with ‘don’t need’ point

Jalen Williams says OKC Thunder proved youth can find success

Jalen Williams spoke to SLAM magazine recently as part of a profile piece. When discussing the lack of veteran presence on the squad as a point of criticism, Williams responded in brilliant fashion.

He noted that the players are more concerned with playing the right way and staying motivated. And their performances show that you can win in the NBA without a lot of veterans on the team.

“Everybody has seen how our demeanor is on the court and off the court. That doesn’t really change. Through the season, our biggest thing is how do we get better every game.

“We don’t worry about where we are and where we’re ranked; we just go. In that last month, you’re actually playing to solidify home court…

“And then it’s like for the Playoffs and the ‘too young’ stuff, that was our motivation to lock in and do the whole ‘maturity’ thing.

“I don’t think basketball needs that… I don’t think you need a bunch of veterans to be successful. I think they are definitely useful, but what people overlook is that our program and our organization are kind of like our vets.”

Young OKC Thunder squad face daunting back-to-back challenge

This youthful Oklahoma City Thunder side defied the rules last season when they won the NBA championship. But can they run it back?

As defending champions, the Thunder are not only the heavy favorites to win it all over again, but they have a massive target on their backs.

Their depth took a massive hit in the offseason, as Thunder rookie Thomas Sorber is out next season after tearing his ACL.

Add to that the grind that comes with an NBA season, not to mention the limited recovery time due to them playing well into June, and the Thunder face a massive challenge.