How Jaylin Williams Could Impact OKC Thunder's Matchup Against Spurs

The Thunder's backup big man could play some key minutes in the conference finals.

May 7, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) smiles after scoring against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half during game two of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder have a tall task ahead in the Western Conference Finals, but their backup big man could help their chances.

After rolling through the first two rounds of the postseason, the Thunder are set for another conference finals matchup, with the San Antonio Spurs coming into town. With Game 1 on Monday, one of the most highly anticipated series in the league in recent memory will soon tip off, and there are many different matchups to watch.

Obviously, the most notable matchup will be Victor Wembanyama against whoever the Thunder throw on him. While Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein will get a bulk of the big minutes, Jaylin Williams could be a real threat to impact this series.

Williams has been a bit streaky in the postseason thus far, but the Thunder will likely need him to make some contributions at some point against the Spurs. With such a unique player in Wembanyama on the other side, Mark Daigneault will need plenty of options at his disposal.

While that might initially mean going small, Williams gives Daigneault the possibility of going bigger. Sure, Williams doesn’t have the height to meet Wembanyama up high, but his thick frame could be a weapon at Oklahoma City’s disposal.

While Holmgren will be the clearest Wembanyama counter with his ability to both protect the paint and stretch the floor on the other end, Williams gives another style to that strategy. While Williams won’t necessarily be blocking shots, he could body Wembanyama and keep him further from the basket, which could also help limit his offensive rebounding opportunities.

Add in that Williams can easily stretch the floor and be a facilitator on the other side, and he could certainly be a perfect player for the Thunder in small stretches. Perhaps most importantly, an effective Williams would be able to buy some extra rest time for Holmgren and Hartenstein, and could even allow those two to take advantage of the minutes Wembanyama is off the floor.

Obviously, it will be easier said than done for the Thunder to take Wembanyama out of the equation, but it will have to be a full team effort. So, guys like Williams will need to be ready at any moment to get on the floor and make an impact by using their strengths against one of the most complete bigs the league has ever seen.

Ultimately, if the Thunder can get some consistent contributions from Williams against the Spurs, the defending champions should find themselves back in the NBA Finals.