Could OKC Thunder Big Man Be X Factor in Spurs Matchups Moving Forward?

The Thunder were without one of their bigs, who could have made a real difference against San Antonio's size.

Nov 28, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) shoots a three point basket over Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City suffered another loss to its newest rival on Christmas, but there’s a chance one missing player could have made a key difference.

Just a couple of days after the San Antonio Spurs secured a win against the Thunder in Texas, the teams met again for a Christmas Day duel at the Paycom Center. Unfortunately for the Thunder, that matchup looked quite familiar and went the same way as their other contests with the Spurs thus far, falling 117-102. 

While the Thunder and Spurs were mostly healthy, Ajay Mitchell’s absence in the past two contests certainly garnered some attention. Although Mitchell’s presence on the floor could have made a difference, Jaylin Williams also could have been a factor in the Thunder’s past couple of contests.

Missing the past several games with heel bursitis, Williams has thrust the Thunder into adjusting their usual rotations on the interior. While Kenrich Williams is a solid option for Oklahoma City to go to down low, having another legitimate big against Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet might have made a difference for the Thunder.

Williams’ last appearance came in Oklahoma City’s first loss to the Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinals in Vegas. In that matchup, Williams racked up six points, three rebounds and a steal in 11 minutes of action.

Dec 13, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) and San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) battle for the loose ball during the second quarter at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While handling Wembanyama can seem like a nearly impossible task, and Williams might not be able to do much about that, the Thunder's third big man could have helped in some other areas. Although he’s not the best rebounder, Williams’ big frame could have helped the Thunder secure some more defensive rebounds and not allow the Spurs guards and wings to run in for critical offensive boards.

Over the past two games, the Spurs have racked up 33 second-chance points. Although Kornet and Wembanyama hit the offensive glass hard in the first of these two Christmas matchups, the Spurs’ two big men combined for just two of the team’s 10 offensive rebounds in Oklahoma City on Thursday afternoon, marking a lack of attention to detail on the glass that Williams might have been able to counter.

Overall, Williams’ ability to stay on the floor in a Spurs matchup in the regular season and beyond will be linked to his effectiveness against Wembanyama and Kornet individually, but also his impact on the smaller things like defensive rebounding and 3-point shooting. Overall, an extra 10-minute stint from the Thunder’s third big man might not have completely swung either game in Oklahoma City’s favor, but his skillset and frame could be a legitimate positive for Mark Daigneault’s squad in future matchups.

---