Oklahoma City Thunder big man Jaylin Williams is one of the best backups in the NBA. With the versatility to play the 4 or 5, as well as the skill set to hurt opponents on both ends of the floor, Williams has evolved into an invaluable piece of the Thunder's puzzle.
As Oklahoma City looks for ways to bounce back from a Conference Finals loss to the San Antonio Spurs, it's Williams who will be the key to helping them do so.
The Thunder's loss to the Spurs revealed two critical flaws in what was once viewed as the most complete rotation in the NBA. For one, Chet Holmgren had perhaps the worst series of his career against long-time rival Victor Wembanyama.
Holmgren averaged 10.7 points on just 7.3 field goal attempts per game during the Conference Finals, all the while struggling to contain Wembanyama and his 27.3 points per contest.
Holmgren, meanwhile, had moments where he was pivotal to the Thunder's success and others where he seemed unplayable. He played fewer than 20 minutes in three of the seven games against the Spurs, as well as exactly 21 in two others.
This all adds up to a simple yet daunting reality: Williams taking the next step in his development as a player may be the last line of defense against the Thunder experiencing a similar outcome in 2027.
Thunder need Jaylin Williams to further improve to overcome Spurs
Williams finished the 2025-26 regular season with averages of 7.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 blocks, 0.5 steals, and 1.5 three-point field goals made in 19.6 minutes per game. Those numbers translate to 13.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 blocks, 0.9 steals, and 2.8 threes per 36 minutes.
Williams ranked No. 9 in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage and No. 6 among power forwards and centers in three-point field goals made per 36 minutes.
Williams also ranks among the best interior defenders in the NBA. According to Basketball Index, he ranked in the 89th percentile in rim disruption and the 95th percentile in rim deterrence. He also finished in the 92nd percentile in post defense, and the 86th percentile in screener mobile defense.
Most impressive of all: Williams was the No. 1 player in the NBA in screener rim defense, per Basketball Index.
Jaylin Williams is great in his role—but can he scale his impact?
For as great as Williams is as an elite 3-and-D big, his contributions have been made in a fairly low-volume role. Not only did he play 19.6 minutes per game during the regular season, but was on the court for 16.0 per contest during the postseason.
As such, the question facing Williams is one that will define the Thunder's championship ambitions: Can he scale his impact to more consistent minutes if Hartenstein and/or Holmgren struggle again?
The good news for Oklahoma City is that Wembanyama shot just 12-of-29 from the field when guarded by Williams during the Conference Finals. The question persists, however, as to whether or not his impact can be sustained in a larger role if the need calls for it.
If Williams can scale his quality to a larger portion of the minutes distribution, then the Thunder will have a real shot at defeating the Spurs. If not, then Hartenstein and Holmgren will need to dig deep.
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