Which Thunder players are most likely to make the All-Star team?

Making the All-Star game is a challenging accomplishment, especially making it in the Western Conference. Before injuring his hip, Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren was a surefire lock to claim his first All-Star appearance. Holmgren was muddying up everything in the middle and anchoring a historic defense. Holmgren's All-Star campaign is probably over, as he was slated to miss 8-10 weeks in mid-November. While the skilled 7-foot unicorn changes the Thunder's trajectory, another core member is making a massive leap and making his case to be a first-time All-Star.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't the one taking a massive leap; he's been this good. He'll be named an All-Star for the third consecutive season. Gilgeous-Alexnder is seventh in the association at 28.7 points per game. He's been one of the shiftiest scorers in the league for a while. Some choose to harp on his frequent free throws. I'll continue to say it: free throws are free points and should never be diminished. All of the great scorers we admire could be considered "free throw merchants" if you dig through the numbers. Gilgeous-Alexnder isn't even a ridiculous free-throw outlier. He's fifth in free throw attempts at about eight attempts a game. The great Michael Jordan had nine seasons shooting at least that many free throws a game.

Gilgeous-Alexander has rounded out his game over the years. He can put passes right in the shooter's pocket. He's a defensive playmaker; the pieces around him allow him to blow passing lanes up. Surprisingly, the versatility of another core player's game aids Gilgeous-Alexander's roaming presence.  

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Jalen Williams could make his first All-Star appearance this season

When Holmgren went down, "Who's going to play center?" was at the tip of the tongue for all OKC Thunder fans In the offseason, they snagged Isaiah Hartenstein from the New York Knicks, but the seventh-year center was dealing with his own injuries when Holmgren went down.

Who'd step up? None other than 6-foot-6 Jalen Williams. It should be noted that Jdub is giving up 3 to 4 inches in a given matchup guarding centers. He's played guard or wing for the last two years but seamlessly slotted into the position with the most defensive responsibility until Hartenstein's recent return. Not only have the Thunder not fallen off a cliff with the undersized Williams playing center, but they remained the No. 1 defense!

Williams offers a ton of versatility. With him at the five, OKC can fly around and blitz opponents much more. Their defensive identity is rooted in having fast, high IQ, switchable defenders all over the floor. He offers help side rim protection relative to his size. According to NBA stats, opponents only shoot 48 percent at the rim, with Williams as the nearest defender.

His versatility on the defensive end is what's turning heads this year, but his offense got him here. Through 16 games, Williams is averaging a career-high 21.8 points per game on a 60 true shooting percentage. His two-way impact is felt on a nightly basis, and that's just his scoring.

Making live plays for others might be his best trait. Williams can demoralize opponents by taking them off the bounce to score using skill and strength or operating as a Giannis-like drive and kicker. The combination of Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams has a whopping plus-11 net rating in 350 minutes. These shifty wings cause havoc for everyone out West and must be respected when the 12 best players in the conferences are announced.