As things currently stand, the OKC Thunder are largely viewed as being in the driver's seat on the road to the 2025 NBA Championship.
With the top-record in the Western Conference standings at 46-11, one of the best net ratings in league history (12.6), and an elite point differential of +725, it should come as no surprise that Oklahoma City is tabbed as the favorites to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy come year's end.
However, even with all of these accomplishments through 57 games played, there's still one area of concern that, as it did last season, could be a driving factor in a possible premature playoff exit.
Said area: The Thunder's offensive punch with Jalen Williams on the court without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Jalen Williams needs to step up offensively for OKC Thunder
It's undeniable that 2024-25 has been a career-year for the 23-year-old.
Not only did he earn his first All-Star nod and has been posting statistical highs of 21.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game but he's also been a true stabilizer for this Thunder rotation, taking on literally any role coach Mark Daigneault has asked him to.
From taking on primary ball-handling duties to starting at center, Williams' ability to wear multiple hats within Oklahoma City's scheme has been one of the main reasons why this team has managed to stay together amid this injury-plagued campaign.
That said, one role he's yet to prove capable of stepping into is as the primary scoring option.
On the season, the Thunder sport a tremendous offensive rating of 117.7, and 118.8, specifically, when both Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are on the court together.
However, take away SGA and keep just J-Dub, and it's evident by both the eye test and the advanced metrics that OKC falls apart on this side of the ball, as their offensive rating plummets to a putrid 107.2 (third-worst mark in the league).
Williams' struggles to generate points as a primary option on offense proved to be a major problem during last year's postseason, particularly in round two with the Mavericks forcing him to step up while defensively taking SGA out of the equation.
This ultimately resulted in Williams seeing fewer than 15 points scored on two occasions and averaging a putrid 38.5 percent shooting clip on unassisted field goal attempts throughout the series. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, was eliminated in six games.
What's important to understand is that Dallas' strategy to take Gilgeous-Alexander out of the game is not a one-off experiment. We've already seen it periodically throughout the regular season and are only bound to find opposing teams leaning into such a defensive game plan come playoff time.
How Jalen Williams manages to respond in these situations could truly be the difference between a second consecutive early-round postseason exit and the Thunder being crowned NBA Champions.