Oklahoma City Thunder center Jaylin Williams is shooting at a 50% clip from beyond the 3-point arc in March, which undoubtedly hasn't gone unnoticed by his teammates, including starting center Isaiah Hartenstein. Williams has made a combined eight threes in his last three outings. The Thunder's depth stands out most for Jalen Williams, who says it's what he's learned by watching from the sidelines for most of the regular season.
Hartenstein, when a reporter asked about the most significant part of Jaylin Williams' game this season, discussed Williams' impact on offense.
“I think just his shooting. I think that’s the biggest thing. He’s been consistent. That’s just being confident. We have a lot of great guys on the team,” Hartenstein said. “A lot of guys that would probably play a lot more minutes on different teams. Sometimes it's just opportunity, and sometimes it's just gaining rhythm and confidence.”
Williams is averaging career bests in a few statistical categories this season, including points (7.5), defensive rebounds (5.0), and blocks (0.7) per game. He has averaged 9.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per game in March.
Jalen Williams on Jaylin Williams' impact for Thunder
After Jalen Williams turned in one of his better performances since his return from injury, he reflected on what he's seen from Thunder's Jaylin Williams during his postgame media availability after Friday's win against the Bulls. Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein wasn't the only teammate talking about Jaylin, who finished with 12 points, including two threes, 10 rebounds, and two steals.
“He's just doing what he normally does. I think he's had more minutes; more opportunities,” Williams said. “I think the injuries are like a blessing. Everybody's been able to showcase more and more stuff that they get to do. He's been one of the big benefactors of it. He's shooting really well — playing with just confidence. With time, you start to become a better player with more opportunity. He's a big reason why we are where we are.”
The Thunder will host the Knicks at the Paycom Center on Sunday.
