Throughout his four years with the OKC Thunder, Jaylin Williams has largely been seen as the lesser of the two namesakes residing on the roster.
Along the way, it's been wing Jalen Williams who has received the lion's share of attention, max pay, and All-Star recognition, whereas big man Jay Will has merely been viewed as a quality role player.
However, amid Dub's latest hamstring-strain-induced hiatus, and the widespread injuries that have plagued a bevy of other players in Oklahoma City, Jaylin has been entrusted with a much larger role in coach Mark Daigneault's scheme -- and has truly excelled.
From his distribution skills, rebounding abilities, and overall defensive chops, the 23-year-old has been a revelation for the Thunder as of late.
Of course, perhaps the most noteworthy recent improvement to his game is his long-range shooting efficiency, as he currently ranks seventh in the entire league in three-point percentage (48.4) among those who have played at least 200 minutes since the February All-Star break.
Jaylin Williams has become an all-around impact player for Thunder
Over the past couple of seasons, Williams has slowly but surely improved upon his on-court abilities.
During the early stages of last year, it was his efforts on the less glamorous side of the ball, where he registered in with an absolutely elite 104 defensive rating. Later on in 2025, his dime-dropping skills were seemingly the talk of the town.
Now, during this final stretch run of 2025-26, his floor spacing is what's catching the eye of fans and pundits alike, with The Athletic's Sam Vecenie saying this new, well-rounded game of Williams' has made him "huge for them, particularly in the big games."
Year four has been a career-best campaign for the pivot. Through 53 games played, Williams is posting career or near-career high numbers all across the board, with averages of 7.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and just shy of a block in 20.5 minutes per night.
Since All-Star weekend, these numbers have only skyrocketed to 11.5 points, 7.3 boards, and 2.7 assists.
Williams has been so good as of late, in fact, that ESPN's Tim Bontemps recently branded him as "one of the best, if not the best, backup center in the league" during a recent edition of The Hoop Collective podcast.
Frankly, this has been a widely accepted sentiment for years among Thunder fans. Now, Williams seems to finally be receiving his flowers on a much greater scale.