Jaylin Williams was unsurprisingly a finalist for the 2024-25 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award thanks to his infectious smile, leadership and willingness to sacrifice individual stats for the good of the team
He’s a crucial part of Oklahoma City’s culture and brotherhood, but his contributions on the court are also notable.
Williams is not and will never be a high-volume scorer. Rather, he keeps the offense crisp and effective through his outstanding playmaking chops.
Basketball Index defines a quick decision assist as receiving and subsequently throwing a pass for an assist within 0.5 seconds. On the other hand, high-value assists are assists that came from a shot at the rim, a 3-point shot, or free throws. These areas have large expected points per possession, thus the high value label.
Of the 319 players with at least 750 minutes played last regular season, Williams ranked 11th in quick decision assists per 75 possessions and 78th in high value assists per 75 possessions. The only bigs to edge out Williams in the quick decision department were Al Horford and Draymond Green – savvy veterans with extremely high basketball IQs.
Williams is essentially generating valuable, easy offensive possessions. Whether it’s running dribble handoffs or spacing the court for the Thunder’s drivers, he’s a player who impacts the game well beyond the traditional box score.
For proof of his worth, check out how Williams’ teammates produce with him on versus off the court based on stats from databallr.com. Players who logged less than 200 minutes with Williams last season were excluded, and the teammate column is ordered by most minutes played with him from top to bottom.
Six of the nine players had their points and efficiency boosted next to Williams, which emphasizes his knack for raising shot quality.
Isaiah Joe, in particular, saw a massive spike in true shooting percentage. He’s an elite sharpshooter who needs to be set up by teammates, and Williams obliges. It may behoove the Thunder to run more dribble handoffs between them.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also scored an incredible 37.5 points per 75 possessions. That’s not too surprising because Gilgeous-Alexander’s rim pressure pairs nicely with Williams’ spacing and passing.
Overall, Williams likely won’t receive heavy usage barring an injury to Chet Holmgren or Isaiah Hartenstein, but look for him to make the most of his minutes. Williams will once again be a valuable chess piece during the postseason, especially if Oklahoma City squares off against Denver in a rematch for Western superiority.
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