Last Friday, the OKC Thunder welcomed cornerstone big man Chet Holmgren back to their lineup following a three-month, injury-induced hiatus.
Despite showing some unsurprising signs of rust in their win over the Raptors, particularly in his offensive play where he registered just 4 points, his impact on the game was undoubtedly felt as he stepped back into his typical defensive anchor role by swatting away 4 shots and altering several others during his 22 minutes of action.
Holmgren's reinstatement is something that both Thunder fans and personnel should unanimously be encouraged by, as they've already proven themselves to be the best team in the league without him. Naturally, his services should only strengthen their claim to such a status.
However, though his return may be viewed as an overall net positive for the team, there's reason to believe that not everyone is guaranteed to benefit from his presence.
Chet Holmgren's return could impact Jaylin Williams' role with Thunder
During Holmgren's absence from the rotation, Jaylin Williams served as a significant part of the Thunder's scheme, seeing 17.1 minutes per game leading up to last Friday's showing against Toronto while boasting a new career-high usage percentage of 15.9 on the season as a whole.
Over a nine-game stretch directly leading into Chet's return, Jay Will was seeing 22.4 minutes per night on average while dropping solid all-around numbers of 8.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.0 blocks.
Of course, as was the case earlier in the year, this recent uptick in playing time largely came out of necessity, as the Thunder saw core big man Isaiah Hartenstein head to the sidelines himself for roughly half of this aforementioned span with a left calf strain.
Now, with I-Hart and Holmgren medically cleared to return to action, it goes without saying that Oklahoma City's frontcourt arsenal is currently the strongest it's been all season.
While this should be music to the ears of Thunder fans, it could also simultaneously be the beginning of the end of Williams' new-found highs in usage, touches, and time on the floor.
Even without Hartenstein in the fold during the 2023-24 campaign, Holmgren's presence alone saw the 22-year-old's numbers in all of these areas either stagnate or plummet compared to his 2022-23 rookie season statistics.
Though the first go at having this trio intact may not have shown any clear signs of a diminished role for Williams (saw 17 minutes on the night), considering Holmgren is slowly being reintegrated into the rotation after such a long absence it's safe to assume that, as coach Mark Daigneault begins to ramp up his playing time, the drop off for Jay Will is almost certainly bound to follow.