Grizzlies: 4 players unjustly ranked higher than Ja Morant on 'Next Gen' list

Jalen Williams

After an impressive season that saw Williams' OKC Thunder secure the number one overall seed in the Western Conference standings, all eyes turned to the fierce young squad that looked to continue its regular season rampage through the postseason.

Near the front of the charge alongside MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams cemented himself during the season as both a crafty and swift offensive player after averaging 19.1 points on an impressive 59.2 effective field goal percentage.

As a second-year player, Williams provides the Thunder with key intangibles and components necessary to propel a team to a championship: tenacity, vision, and the willpower to continue battling even with fellow star players on the bench.

While his impressive sophomore season should by no means be downplayed, as he was an integral piece to a team that looked like it could compete at the highest level, there is also an obvious tinge of recency bias when it comes to ranking Williams higher than Morant.

Benefiting from the most recent year's results helps to propel Williams' case for being an up-and-coming two-way player, but it would be irresponsible to ignore the fact that the young forward plays on a team that is quite stacked.

To add to the fierceness and vigor that Williams brings to the table, there is also the presence of superstar point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was quite literally in the top-three in MVP voting, near rookie of the year and defensive anchor Chet Holmgren, as well as a plethora of young talents that surround them.

In its entirety, it would seem feasible to think that Jalen Williams could potentially peak higher than Morant in the future should he continue his current rise. However, at this point, there have been no true indicators that this is the case, and whether it pans out remains to be seen.

It will be interesting to see the comparison between the two players coming into next season, assuming both rosters are fully healthy, and be able to give better insight into who is definitively the better overall prospect.