NBA Awards Rankings: New No. 1 in Most Improved Player race

19.1 PPG | 4.0 RPG | 4.5 APG | .540 FG% | .443 3P% | .810 FT%

There is no official rule disqualifying second-year players as far as I'm aware, so Jalen Williams gets a strong mention here. The Oklahoma City Thunder are legitimate title contenders. J-Dub is, quite possibly, the second-best player on a title contender in his second NBA season. His role has been limited relative to his obvious ability, but even obscured by OKC's overwhelming depth of talent, Williams is looking more like a star with each passing game.

The Santa Clara product has built on his runner-up finish in the Rookie of the Year race, becoming more efficient from 3-point range on higher volume. That has opened up driving lanes, where Williams' mix of burst, strength, and touch becomes too much for most defenses to handle. He is a truly elite slasher, comfortable finishing with either hand and frequently able to push through contact.

His passing has improved dramatically, too. Williams is a player OKC can rely on to create offense late in games. He has been one of the league's best clutch operators, for that matter. He's consistently making high-level reads on the move, limiting turnovers (1.7 per game) and unlocking OKC's hydra-esque offense. It's easy to point at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren as reasons Williams shouldn't win this award — the classic "too much help" argument — but Williams has helped those two as much as they've helped him.

We cannot look past the defense either. Again, it's easy to lose track of Williams' excellence on that end due to the stacked supporting cast. SGA, Chet, and Lu Dort all have All-Defense canses. But, so does J-Dub. He's a complete beast at the point of attack, handling difficult assignments on a nightly basis and bottling up drives with his burly 7-foot-2 wingspan.