For the second time in his last six games, Jaylin Williams has found himself filling out the stat sheet with double-digit points, rebounds, and assists, marking the shortest span of games in OKC Thunder history for a player to record their first two triple-doubles.
Wednesday night's bout against the Philadelphia 76ers proved to be a career showing for the third-year big, as he would go on to finish with a new high in points and boards with 19 and 17, respectively, while tying his previously set career-high in assists from just over a week ago with 11.
While his scoring abilities were certainly a great delight to see, as Oklahoma City was in grave need of such a boost with guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (rest) and Jalen Williams (hip) both sidelined, easily his most electrifying contributions on the night came via his passing game.
11 assists is undoubtedly a statistic to celebrate on its own, but it was the way in which he went about recording them that caught the attention of fans, players, and personnel alike.
From his full-court overhead outlet to a running Dillon Jones to a behind-the-back bounce pass to a cutting Aaron Wiggins, Williams showed off some serious flash and finesse with his dime-dropping skills.
Of course, for those who have been paying attention throughout this year's campaign, such production has not been a mere one-off occurrence. Frankly, based on both the eye test and the statistics, 2024-25 has been Jaylin Williams' best season as a passer, and there's a case to be made that Nikola Jokic may be to thank.
Nikola Jokic may have inadvertently helped Thunder big's passing game
Throughout the year, Thunder fans have been absolutely enthralled by the passing abilities of free-agency pick-up Isaiah Hartensten, and rightly so.
The 7-footer regularly showcases his sensational distribution skills by throwing no-look passes, behind-the-head dishes, and, most frequently, precise bounce passes to cutters down-low and is currently averaging a career-high 3.9 assists per game (third on the team) and 6.6 per 100 possessions.
Over the last few months, Hartenstein shed light on how he was able to become such a gifted distributor at the pro level, revealing that his time spent with Nikola Jokic while serving as a member of the Denver Nuggets back in 2020 "helped a lot."
"Just asking him questions, being with him a lot kind of took my passing to another level for sure," Hartenstein said about Jokic.
It should come as no surprise that in the first year Hartenstein has been with the Thunder, Jay Will is posting career-highs in assists per game with 2.5 and has already recorded a new season-high in games with five or more assists (five).
Because of this, it may be safe to assume that while I-Hart might be having a direct influence on Jaylin Williams' progression as a passer, Nikola Jokic and his teachings bestowed on the veteran big could also be argued as a major, indirect factor as well.