When Chet Holmgren went down with a hip fracture last week, the Oklahoma City Thunder found themselves in a peculiar predicament.
Holmgren joined fellow center Isaiah Hartenstein on the Thunder’s injury list which left head coach Mark Daigneault without many options to fill the void inside.
With the untested Branden Carlson the only remaining healthy big man on the team’s roster, Daigenault decided to get creative and began deploying their 6’6 guard Jalen Williams as the team’s starting center.
Now in his third year, Williams entered the league out of Santa Clara capable of swinging between shooting guard, small forward, and even power forward. This new assignment of playing center was uncharted territory, yet he has grabbed the challenge of mixing it up in the post against opponents who are half a foot taller than him by the horns.
In his six games as Oklahoma City’s starting center, Williams is averaging 26.2 points on 55.4% field goal shooting, 7.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks in 33.6 minutes a contest. The Thunder have gone 4-2 during this stretch and the play of Williams is a major reason why they have managed to stay afloat amidst all of the injuries that they have encountered.
Williams’ diverse skillset has made him a tough match-up for opposing centers and he has allowed the Thunder to play at an even quicker pace. This has bumped up their offensive rating to 116.6 over this stretch, well above their season average of 113.1.
Despite the absence of Holmgren, Oklahoma City has been able to maintain their league-leading defensive rating of 102.7 with Williams playing center. He has proven to be strong enough to keep up with opposing big men and has also been able to leverage his quickness to his advantage.
The 23-year-old played his best game of the season so far in Oklahoma City’s latest game, a 109-99 win versus the Portland Trail Blazers. Williams proved to be too much for Portland’s rookie center Donovan Clingan and recorded his best statistical game of the season so far. He tallied an impressive 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting, five three-pointers, seven rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and two blocks in 35 minutes in the victory.
Hartenstein also made his season debut during this game, yet Daigenault decided to keep Williams as the team’s starting center for at least one more game.
The discovery of these Thunder line-ups with Williams playing center unlocks many new options for this team and it will be interesting to see if Daigneault will continue to deploy them even when they are fully healthy. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to be the face of this franchise, yet Williams has emerged as this team’s heart and soul.
Williams elevates this Oklahoma City squad to new heights, and its surprising to think that he is only in his third year in the league. With his skill set and versatility onboard, this Thunder team looks primed for a long run at NBA championships, and Williams is sure to be a central figure in whatever success they achieve.
