Thunder Big Three Take Big Leap in ESPN Player Rankings

It is safe to say that Holmgren is cooking up another All-Star campaign. Furthermore, Oklahoma City has a 14-2 record whenever Holmgren scores 20 or more points, including the postseason. Prior to his hip injury, he was averaging 18.2 points per game. As has been said many times, imagine what he would have achieved so far if Chet didn’t get injured.

Unpopular opinion: Holmgren had a better 2024-25 season than Victor Wembanyama.

Jalen Williams’ Intangibles Paying Off

Williams has made an enormous leap since being drafted. After not even being named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2022-23, he made the All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defensive teams two seasons later. With that being said, J-Dub jumping from 44th to 11th in the ESPN Player Rankings is both a surprise and no-brainer.

It’s shocking considering the amount of criticism he’s been getting for most of the year. Being the second to a perennial MVP candidate does raise the bar, but Williams has proven his worth time after time. He even played center at a time when Oklahoma City had no rotation-level bigs to man the middle. He wowed the NBA world with his otherworldy games against the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers during the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

That 40-point explosion in a pivotal Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals will be remembered for ages.

At the same time, it’s also a no-brainer.

It’s no secret that he’s always bringing the energy. No one can deny that Williams sacrificed the most for OKC; playing with an injured wrist for 23 gut-wrecking games in the playoffs is no easy feat. That’s a risk that he took, notably taking a whopping total of 30 injections in that span.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Entering His Prime

The fact that Gilgeous-Alexander’s only ranked second overall is a bummer for Thunder fans. What else could they say about his greatness after last? Winning three MVPs (regular season, Western Conference Finals, NBA Finals) is extraordinary. That’s on top of leading the league in scoring and being a defensive menace. Overall, SGA had a landmark season, and 2024-25 showed just how much he’s grown.

He has so few weaknesses as a scorer that putting points on the board is no problem. He’s a killer, making life tough for opponents with his ball-handling, body control and sheer determination to put his team ahead. He’s also quite efficient, his 63.7% true shooting percentage as a high-usage guard speaking volumes about his game. Sure, many are poking fun at his foul-baiting, but he would’ve averaged 24.8 points per game with elite efficiency if he never took a free-throw last season. Plus, he silences them all by winning at the end of it.

There’s no way he’s going to slow down now, and his massive performances in the 2025 Playoffs only show why he should have been ranked No. 1.

On top of that, Gilgeous-Alexander is only at the starting point of his prime at 27 years old. Oklahoma City is perfectly set up for championship runs in the next few years. With SGA’s consistent work ethic, expect him to continue setting records and being all but irreplaceable .

Big Leaps Mean Bigger Success

At this point, the bar is high for the Thunder trio.

Gilgeous-Alexander is set to stamp his name as one of the elites. Williams is eager to take an even bigger step. Holmgren can truly put his name with the stars. Due to shrewd decision-making and an excellent coaching staff, else is falling into place for Oklahoma City as well. To that point, secured their trio for the future with massive extensions means a lot to Thunder fans.

Oklahoma City is just getting started, and Sam Presti knows all of it. He continues to learn from his mistakes, and now his players rise not just on paper, but on the biggest stages.