It's been hard not to mention the OKC Thunder in any conversation regarding the NBA over the past couple of years. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company are getting the recognition they deserve. Even breakout players like Ajay Mitchell are starting to receive national attention.
However, one man has quietly been a key piece in the Thunder puzzle.
Jaylin Williams has played the role of "whatever needs to be done" and is finally getting recognized for it.
After Friday's win against the Jazz, head coach Mark Daigneault acknowledged the efforts of bench players Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe, and Williams, specifically. He spoke highly of their roles in stabilizing the game after it had gotten off to a shaky start.
Oklahoma City was down by 18 late in the first quarter until Daigneault made key substitutions. They proceeded to outscore Utah 123-73 from that point on, in large part because of Jay Will's efforts.
Jaylin Williams has been ultimate utility man for Thunder
He scored 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting with six rebounds and six assists. The Thunder were plus-27 while he was on the floor, which was second-highest on the team.
While Williams filled up the stat sheet, this was hardly his usual performance. He has played anywhere from 13 to 30 minutes a night throughout his tenure and has helped the Thunder win in a plethora of ways.
This type of inconsistency in playing time is nothing new to Thunder fans.
Williams has been playing the role of Swiss Army Knife for years in Oklahoma City. Just one game after his performance against Utah, he played a mere 14 minutes and only attempted three shots during their 122-95 revenge win over Portland.
Earlier this season, we witnessed Daigneault start Williams alongside Isaiah Hartenstein against the Pelicans, something OKC hadn't done throughout all of last year.
His mixed bag of tricks is paying off, and the Thunder average a +6.1 point advantage when he is on the floor.
As Draymond Green said after OKC crushed the Warriors earlier this year, a championship team has to like each other and know their roles.
It is obvious that Williams' teammates love him, evidenced by the praise they showered him with after he recorded his first career triple-double in a spot start last season.
It takes character to see your role go from centerpiece of the offense at certain times during the season to almost nothing in a playoff run and still be one of the first players off the bench to congratulate a teammate after a big-time bucket.
Jaylin Williams is the glue that holds this OKC squad together, and they wouldn't be where they are without him, regardless of his nightly stat line.