OKC Thunder rotation gets a massive boost with Kenrich Williams returning

The OKC Thunder are ten games into their 2023-24 campaign and own the fifth-best record in the Western Conference. A solid start that has been littered with things to clean up. Now, a 6-4 team gets a key cog in their rotation back.

Kenrich Williams has been sidelined for a few weeks with back spasms, which has delayed his season debut. The TCU product will make his season debut against the San Antonio Spurs and provide a much-needed spark to Mark Daigneault’s rotation.

The OKC Thunder see Kenrich Williams return to the fold, giving them a huge boost to the rotation.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have struggled all season long with crashing the glass. The OKC Thunder are the second-worst team in the league at hauling in boards. They only rank ahead of the tanking Washington Wizards.

While Kenrich Williams only stands 6’6, his effort and physicality is undeniable. Those two traits are, a lot of the time, more important than size. Williams brought down a career-high five rebounds per game a season ago.

Kenrich Williams provides a ton of defense for the OKC Thunder. Williams ranks among the top ten in the league at drawing offensive fouls on the opposition; he dives to recover loose balls, earns deflections in the passing lanes, and just does all the “dirty work” for this young Thunder team.

A season ago, Mark Daigneault rolled out Kenrich Williams as a small ball five, allowing OKC to play some of their best basketball, especially when oppositions tried to counter the Thunder’s drive-heavy style with a zone defense.

While many view Kenrich Williams as just a role player, he will help lift the rotation and tie this team together starting tonight against the Spurs. The Thunder are 10.5-point favorites, according to FanDuel, in pursuit of their first In-Season Tournament victory.