The Oklahoma City Thunder are on top the NBA world right now after having won their first championship in the Thunder era. With contract extensions given out this offseason to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, the Thunder ensured they have their title core together for at least the next few seasons. But with the Western Conference getting stronger, the Thunder are going to need breakout seasons from players on their roster if they want to repeat as champions.
As good as Gilgeous-Alexander is, the reigning MVP can still get better and will always be a good candidate for a breakout season for the Thunder. There is another level or two the All-Star guard can still reach, and he’ll be in MVP contention for quite some time.
Nikola Topic is an intriguing guard with a high ceiling who missed all of his rookie season due to injury. He had a very strong NBA Summer League, but the plan is probably to ease him in a bit and get him acclimated to the NBA game. Topic would be a good candidate for this for next season. Cason Wallace is also another strong candidate to have a breakout season for the Thunder, but perhaps the best player in line for a breakout year is big man Jaylin Williams.
Jaylin Williams will have breakout season for Thunder
Williams began the 2024-25 season on the sidelines as he suffered a hamstring injury during training camp. He would miss about two months before returning the lineup in late December.
When the Thunder acquired Isaiah Hartenstein via free agency, the prevailing thought was Holmgren would be the starting center and Hartenstein would be his backup. While Hartenstein also started the year sidelined due to injury, upon his return he was immediately slotted into the starting lineup due to an injury to Holmgren.
When Holmgren returned, the Thunder opted to keep Hartenstein in the starting lineup and run with a two-center duo. Save for the start of the NBA Finals, Hartenstein remained alongside Holmgren for the duration of the playoffs. That opened up opportunity for Williams, who emerged as a key rotation player during the season. That should carry over to this upcoming season.
The Thunder are going to need a reliable backup behind Holmgren and Hartenstein to help keep them fresh and ease the load during the regular season. Williams fits that bill. What also makes him a valuable part of the rotation is that he is capable of spacing the floor with his three-point shooting.
Last season, Williams appeared in a total of 47 games, including nine starts, at a little over 16 minutes per game. He averaged 5.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists with splits of 43.9 percent shooting from the field, 39.9 percent shooting from the three-point line and 76.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
In the playoffs, the third-year big man’s playing time dropped to a little over eight minutes per game, although he still managed to shoot 36 percent from the three-point line. What also stood out as an encouraging sign for the Thunder was Williams’ defense, particularly on Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. While Williams downplayed the idea of him being a Jokic ‘stopper,’ there’s no question the defensive potential is there.
Holmgren and Hartenstein are strong defensive players in their own right, having someone like Williams, who can have a similar-like impact defensively off the bench, is a luxury. Needing to keep the starting frontcourt fresh for a deep playoff run, Williams is the player most likely to have a breakout season for the Thunder.
