OKC Thunder’s Jaylin Williams Has Emerged In March Ahead Of Playoffs

Over the course of his three seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Jaylin Williams has played in a variety of roles. He was a primary starter in his rookie campaign as Oklahoma City was in the final year of its rebuild, but he’s had to carve out a new niche in the rotation over the past two seasons.

Now that the Thunder is a contender, Williams hasn’t been in the rotation on a consistent basis. After being sidelined to start the 2024-25 campaign due to injury, he’s played an important role on some nights, but hasn’t seen the floor at all on others. In either scenario, the 22-year-old is the ultimate professional and always is the best teammate he can possibly be. No matter his role on a given night, he’s always prepared to uplift his teammates on and off the court.

More recently, Williams’ impact has been felt on the hardwood rather than vocally from the sideline. He has emerged in March and has stepped up in a big way for the Thunder. The team’s 10-1 record has been extremely impressive, with Williams contributing to that success. In fact, he has notched two different games with a triple-double in March, making him the only Thunder player this season to reach that milestone.

Entering the month of March, Williams was posting averages of 5.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 16.3 minutes per contest. The skilled center was shooting 32.3% from beyond the arc on just over three attempts per game. In the 11 games thus far in March, Williams had taken his game to an entirely new level. Not only has he produced a pair of triple-doubles this month, but he’s also averaged 7.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 18.6 minutes while shooting 51.4% from deep on 37 total attempts. Williams has posted a +91 total box plus/minus, which is good for fourth on the Thunder.

When looking at his numbers relative to his OKC teammates, Williams has ranked eighth in total points (87), fourth in total assists (32) and second in total rebounds (66). He has also knocked down the fifth most 3-pointers (19) and has notched the fourth most blocks (7).

Williams is best known for his ability to defend, force turnovers — notably charges — and operate as an offensive hub at the center position. He’s a tremendous positional passer and reads the game very well on both ends of the floor. But when he’s at his best, it’s when the 3-point shot is falling. That’s been the case in March, which is why his impact has been at an all-time high.

Although shooting above 50% from beyond the arc isn’t sustainable or expected, Williams being able to continue his hot shooting into the playoffs could earn him some minutes. This time last month, the assumption was that it would be difficult for him to crack the postseason rotation. Now, he’s proven there’s a real pathway for him to earn situational minutes.

Jaylin Williams has emerged in a big way this month, which is perfect timing given the playoffs start next month. In just his third season, it appears he has turned a corner.