Alex Caruso has been talking up Kenrich Williams all throughout this year's training camp and preseason, calling him one of the "competitive leaders" on the OKC Thunder and even going so far as to anoint him "the head of the snake."
Tuesday night, he proved that these claims by the veteran two-guard hold serious merit with one simple act.
After Thunder guard Bennett Stirtz was popped by Pacers forward James Johnson as he illegally lowered his shoulder while setting a pick in the fourth period, Williams got right in the veteran's face in defense of the club's rookie.
Moments later, he took it upon himself to draw Johnson into an isolation set, where he'd keep the 39-year-old on his toes with an impressive dribble package before leaving him scrambling after pulling off a deep crossover and knocking down a smooth triple.
This string of actions from Williams seemed to serve as a momentum shift of sorts for the Thunder, as OKC had missed four of their previous five attempts to kick off the quarter. From then on, they would hit nearly 50.0 percent of their looks through overtime and ultimately came away with a 114-112 win, marking their first victory in roughly five months.
As coach Mark Daigneault put it during his post-game presser, this was merely yet another example of why Williams is "the soul of our team," and how his approach to the game can be "contagious" for the rest of his teammates.
Thunder may rely on Kenrich Williams more following summer shakeups
This coming season, Williams may find his role changing a bit compared to his past go-arounds with the Thunder.
As a result of Oklahoma City's numerous offseason departures, namely the trades that shipped Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe outbound, there's now a slew of minutes and shot attempts that are up for grabs within coach Daigneault's scheme.
Now, while most assume guys like Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, and Jared McCain will be the main beneficiaries of these newly created opportunities, there's bound to still be plenty of leftover shots and minutes for Kenny Hustle to take on.
Despite his dwindling playing time over the last few years as the Thunder started to expand their overall depth, it mustn't be forgotten that Williams has made a career for himself as a highly reliable 3&D role player who boasts averages of 36.8 percent shooting from deep and a defensive rating of 112 throughout his soon-to-be nine year NBA tenure.
So while he may be best known as one of the main veteran voices on OKC's roster, Williams could also be in line for many more on-court opportunities this coming campaign.
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