The J stands for Jalen and the Dub is for Winning

Good morning. Jalen Williams might already be the second best second banana in the league. Let's basketball.

What do you need from an excellent second banana? You need someone who score, and more than that someone who can create their own opportunities. You'd like them to be capable of long stretches where they can be your first option. And you'd like them to be elite at another facet of the game, both to help round out the team's balance and to provide something when the first option is in takeover mode or when they (the second banana) aren't shooting well.

Jalen Williams can score and he can create his own opportunities. Jalen Williams has long stretches where he can be your first option. And he's elite at another facet of the game: defense. He had it all on display in Oklahoma City's rousing Game 5 win over the Pacers, putting up 40 points on .661 True Shooting with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 turnover and good defense alongside his friends Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the big cheese for the Thunder, had a great game too: 31 points on .571 True Shooting, 10 assists, 4 blocks (!), 2 steals. But JDub had it going, and he and Shai worked that two-man game that Mark Daigneault started to unleash in Game 4, and that took care of one side of the ball.

Tyrese Haliburton being injured or cuffed by Dort or both took care of the other end. OKC's defense was dominant for long stretches, including in the fourth quarter (again) after Indiana clawed back (as they do). The Pacers were able to lean on jittery T.J. McConnell in the third quarter as he almost single-handedly reeled the Thunder back in; Pascal Siakam took it from there to open the fourth by hitting outside jumpers and blasting by OKC's bigs.