On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the OKC Thunder played their first game without Jalen Williams since November 26th. Even without their All-Star, they sleepwalked their way to a 136-104 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Five players scored in the double-digits, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his rinse-and-repeat 30 points, and all went without a hitch.
The unnerving fact is that this type of performance from the ball club has been the status quo without J-Dub in the lineup this season.
Monday's win moves the Thunder to 19-1 without their All-Star forward. With him, they are just 17-7.
Thunder have looked deeper with no Jalen Williams to soak up volume
This correlation is nothing new. Last season, the Thunder went 13-0 without Williams in the lineup, and only four of those games were even within a double-digit point differential.
At 24.7 percent, Jalen Williams has the second-highest usage rate on the team. The alarming trend, however, has fans questioning whether or not Dub's heavy usage is the best thing for this team, as OKC role players have consistently thrived in his absence.
Players like Ajay Mitchell, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Joe have looked like remade versions of themselves with him sidelined.
Mitchell has averaged 15.4 points without Jalen. With him, he is averaging just 12.7.
Holmgren has played top-tier defense regardless of who is on the floor, but his offense has come alive when he plays the role of second-in-command, as he has averaged 18.5 points, including seven 20-plus-point games.
With Williams on the floor, he averages fewer points and more rebounds, as his role shifts more to that of the generic big man.
Isaiah Joe might be the prime candidate for more usage, as his role has all but disappeared in games with Williams in the lineup. His points per game averages drop from 13.4 to 6.9 when the Thunder forward plays.
On Monday, he celebrated his return as an important piece in the rotation with a 16-point performance on 6-for-9 shooting. His 25 minutes on the floor represent the most action he has seen since November 21st.
OKC was also plus-20 when he was on the floor.
Thunder might need to rethink how they use their star
There is no doubt that Jalen Williams is a great basketball player, as made evident by his All-Star and All-NBA selections, along with a Championship run just last season.
However, coach Mark Daigneault may need to re-evaluate how they use J-Dub when he comes back.
With the forward already admitting how lengthy his recovery process was and still is, it might be in the Thunder's best interest to adjust roles, providing players like Holmgren and sharpshooters off the bench more opportunity to score the basketball.
OKC's role players will have a lengthy run to themselves, as Williams is projected to be out at least a couple of weeks. If the Thunder continue to dominate and certain members of the supporting cast keep pushing for extended roles, the coaching staff may face some tough decisions when their star ultimately returns.