Jaylin Williams’ No. 1 expectation for next season

Editor’s note: Inside The Thunder on Athlon Sports will be publishing a series of “biggest expectation” articles on each of the Thunder’s main roster players (incl. two-way contract players). This will be relative to roles and expectations for the 2024–25 NBA season. Next up in the series, Jaylin Williams.

The other Williams on the roster is working his way to becoming as popular as the other Williams on the roster.

At 22 years old, Jaylin Williams has years ahead of him to progress into a steady NBA player. However, with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s rotation saturated with tons of young depth, it may soon become a game of survival of the fittest. After a so-so sophomore season, it’s time for the Thunder forward to turn up the intensity.

The expectation

While the Thunder were busy rattling off 57 wins, Williams was quietly working to revitalize his game. His rookie season in 2022 was promising, as he earned the reputation of a quality rebounder and an energy spark off the bench. However, his minutes, points, 3-point shooting percentage, and field goal percentage all took a step back last season.

With that said, that’s not to completely dismiss his impact. The Arkansas product tallied a 23.7% rebounding percentage, which led the Thunder a season ago. Williams was a big boost for a team that ranked No. 28 in defensive rebounding percentage. However, it was hard to notice this upside with other key areas in his game taking a substantial plunge.

As competition on the roster stiffens, players will have to fight for more minutes and a spot in Oklahoma City’s final rotation leading up to the 2025 playoffs. For Williams, next season’s expectations begin with him recapturing above 40 percent from the 3-point line. As a rookie, he shot a very serviceable 40.7% on 2.3 attempts per game and was one of OKC’s consistent spot-up shooters. That aside, he must continue evolving as a defender.

At 6-foot-9 and a burly 240 pounds, the 22-year-old has a legitimate NBA body that can help propel him among the league’s most versatile defenders. He’s already displayed that he can be his team’s go-to stopper after holding his opponents to 49.7% shooting from the field during the last regular season.

Focused on development

Regardless of what the numbers say, Williams isn’t one to hang low after last season. While some may classify his second year as the age-old “sophomore slump,” the forward’s reflection on his season was glittered with positivity.

“I feel like I’ve grown a lot. I’ve learned a lot,” he said during his exit interview in May . ”That was one of my main focuses coming into this year. Learn the system, learn how to play with my teammates, and learn how to be a better me. [I] feel like I learned a lot.”

As a former No. 34 overall pick in the NBA Draft, Jaylin has already exceeded expectations in some areas. While Oklahoma City never drafted him with the intention of molding him into a superstar or even a borderline All-Star, the franchise wants to see the developing forward expand his skill set and be a reliable playmaking option in big games.

Year 3 will be critical to his short and long-term career trajectory. At this point, whoever on the Thunder roster — of the young bench players — shows the most upside will get precedence. For Williams to be considered near the top, he’ll need to come out focused in a title-or-bust season for OKC.

Related: Isaiah Hartenstein’s No. 1 expectation for next season