OKC Thunder Forward Jaylin Williams Receives Emphatic Cheers in Return from Injury

After missing the first quarter of the 2024-25 campaign, Oklahoma City center Jaylin Williams received a massive round of applause from the Paycom Center crowd in his return to action.

Dec 23, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) gestures after scoring a basket against the Washington Wizards during the second quarter at Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

After suffering an injury ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, third-year forward Jaylin Williams missed the Oklahoma City Thunder's first 27 games of the season.

The Arkansas product has been a solid depth piece for the Thunder in his first two years as a pro. With Isaiah Hartenstein also missing the beginning of the season and Chet Holmgren suffering a serious hip injury just 10 games into the year, Mark Daigneault and company have missed Williams.

The former Razorbacks' standout played just eight minutes in his return to the lineup, logging three points and two assists in a 123-105 win against the Wizards. When Williams' checked into the game in the second quarter, fans erupted in cheers, welcoming the beloved big-man back to the floor.

Jaylin Williams gets a loud ovation as he checks in for his season debut pic.twitter.com/zKxAg69rQ7

— Joel Lorenzi (@jxlorenzi) December 24, 2024

Williams knocked down a 3-pointer quickly after entering the game, showing he still has the ability to space the floor in his first game back. Additionally, Williams seems to be well-liked by his teammates and could help the team continue to gel and build chemistry.

Even if the 6-foot-9 forward is not in Daigneault's rotation every night, having Williams on the active roster provides depth at the center and forward spots. Throughout the regular season, Williams flanks Kenrich Williams as backup center options while Holmgren is still recovering.

Once Holmgren returns, Williams' minutes may become more irregular, but the versatile big man should still see decent playing time in certain matchups, depending on the opposing team's personnel.

In 2023-24, Williams appeared in 69 games, averaging 13 minutes per contest. In his second year with the Thunder, the former second round pick averaged four points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 36.8% from beyond the arc.

Williams proved to be a regular contributor in the postseason, playing more than 10 minutes in each of the Thunder's games against the Dallas Mavericks.

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