In the home stretch of the 2025-26 NBA regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have utilized their incredible depth to stay on top of the Western Conference despite dealing with key injuries. One of the major contributors to the team’s retained success has been fan favorite forward Jaylin Williams, who is striking the cords from distance at a high rate this season.
Williams has played some of the best basketball of his career since the All-Star break. He is averaging 10.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in 18 games, while shooting the basketball extremely well.
The former Arkansas Razorback is shooting 52.3% overall and 50% from behind the arc on 4.7 attempts a night. Williams is shooting 38.3% from three-point range on the year, on his highest career attempts-per-game total, of 4.1.
The backup big man has now knocked down 31 of his last 62 three-pointers, being a go-to floor spacer for the Thunder.
When asked about Williams’s three-point success, his former high school teammate, Isaiah Joe, had nothing but praise.
“He’s shooting lights out right now. I think it’s causing some troubles for some defenses, because they’ve got to figure out matchups and all that, especially at his size, being able to pick and pop,” Joe said.
The shooting from the former second-round pick has definitely played a part in creating mismatches and spreading out opposing defenses, with the Thunder clearly playing better with him on the floor during this run. Despite playing some of the time without his other two big men partners, in Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, Williams is a +50 on the floor since the break.
Thunder wing Jalen Williams had similar praise to ring after the forward had a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double against the Chicago Bulls Friday. The double-double was Williams’s sixth this season and 10th of his career.
“He’s shooting really well. Playing with confidence and with time, confidence, you start to become a better player with more opportunity,” Jalen Williams said.
Coming off signing a three-year contract extension after winning the championship a season ago, 2025-26 could not have gone better for the Thunder big man.
Over time, Jaylin Williams has become more comfortable playing more minutes with a heavier workload. In the season’s final push before the playoffs begin, maintaining this momentum will be crucial if Oklahoma City wants to electrify the city for the second season in a row.