Oklahoma City’s title run was no fluke — but the narrative surrounding how they got there just took a dramatic twist.
On Monday’s edition of NBA Today, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps dropped a bombshell that’s been circulating in league circles for months but only whispered about among insiders: Jalen Williams — not Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — was the true engine behind the Thunder’s shocking 2025 championship run.
“Look, Shai was sensational. But you talk to scouts, assistant coaches, even rival GMs — they’ll tell you Jalen Williams was the matchup nightmare no one could solve,” Bontemps said. “He dictated the pace, broke defensive schemes, and his versatility opened the floor for everyone else — including Shai.”
Stats Tell a Story… But Not the Whole One
While Gilgeous-Alexander earned Finals MVP honors — and rightfully so — advanced metrics paint a compelling picture. According to Second Spectrum, Williams led all Thunder players in fourth-quarter on/off differential during the playoffs. His defensive versatility allowed OKC to switch 1 through 4 without losing ground, and his offensive efficiency in clutch moments quietly outpaced even SGA in several key games.
“Shai was the hammer,” said an anonymous Western Conference assistant. “But Jalen? He was the hand swinging it.”
Behind the Scenes Tension?
Sources close to the Thunder suggest there were quiet internal debates throughout the postseason about who the offense should truly run through in the final minutes — a dynamic that played out in the Western Conference Finals when Williams closed two straight games with dagger buckets, not Gilgeous-Alexander.
Coach Mark Daigneault downplayed any controversy, calling both players “indispensable,” but ESPN insiders hint that the team may have already started subtly shifting its offensive identity — away from isolation-heavy Shai and toward a more fluid, Williams-centric system.
Which leads to a critical question Thunder fans may not be ready to face:
If Jalen Williams is the engine… then what does that make Shai?
See more: The looming Thunder dilemma no one’s talking about — and what it could mean for SGA’s future in OKC.
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