Jaylin Williams’ Return Paves Way for OKC Thunder’s Double-Big Lineups

The Thunder’s fan-favorite big man could help the team experiment.

Jaylin Williams is pictured during the Thunder media day at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma City’s season has gone nearly perfect on the scoreboard, and things are beginning to come together on the injury report as well. 

While the Thunder are still without Chet Holmgren, backup big man Jaylin Williams made his long-awaited debut on Monday. He was expectedly limited in his return, playing about eight minutes and finishing with three points, two assists and a block. 

While he didn’t get on the floor much in his season debut, he could have a solid role moving forward. With Isaiah Hartenstein playing roughly the same 30-minute load as Holmgren did last season, it would make sense for Williams to slot into his same backup role. Last season, Williams played 13 minutes per game and was a regular part of the Thunder’s rotation. 

Considering the excitement surrounding Holmgren and Hartenstein’s pairing, it has been rather disappointing that the Thunder have been unable to put a lineup with multiple bigs on the floor. Of course, with Williams’ return, that is now a possibility. 

One of the keys to Holmgren’s success alongside Williams was his ability to play seamlessly anywhere on the floor. Although Hartenstein isn’t necessarily the do-it-all star that Holmgren is, he can still space the floor and hang with guards just well enough defensively to potentially make a pairing with Williams work. 

These lineups also likely need to work for Williams’ spot on the roster to be safe moving forward. While his name hasn’t often come up in trade talks, a healthy Thunder will likely always have Holmgren or Hartenstein on the court when they want to play big. If Williams is going to find playing time, he almost certainly needs to have success alongside another center. 

The Thunder’s double-big lineups will thrive once Holmgren returns, but the team still has options in his absence. 

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