Kenrich Williams Could be the OKC Thunder’s Missing Piece in Round 2

One of Oklahoma City’s regular rotation players has not played much in the playoffs, but that might change soon.

The Thunder are finally facing adversity this postseason after losing Game 2 to the Dallas Mavericks. Although most of the Thunder’s issues on Thursday were not overly concerning, some adjustments could be warranted going into Game 3.

Considering Oklahoma City’s game plan looked relatively fine in the first two games, any changes are likely to come in the rotation. That could open the door for Kenrich Williams to make his way into Mark Daigneault’s playoff rotation.

Williams did not play in Game 2 and has played mostly garbage time in the Thunder’s first five playoff games. After playing nine minutes in Game 1 against the New Orleans Pelicans, Williams has only played 10 minutes since. Still, WIlliams’ versatility and hustle could be a valuable tool for the Thunder.

“I think we could need Kenrich Williams in a series, maybe this one,” Daigneault said. “So, I’ve had conversations with him about keeping himself ready.”

At 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, Williams’ size is comparable to Gordon Hayward, who has played in every playoff game. However, Williams taking Hayward’s spot in the lineup could be seen as Oklahoma City admitting it made a mistake with the trade deadline acquisition.

Although the Thunder did not give up anything substantial in the trade, Hayward’s tenure in Oklahoma City has been disappointing, particularly in the playoffs. After averaging only 5.3 points for the Thunder in the regular season, Hayward is scoreless in the playoffs and has taken only two shots in 43 minutes.

With Hayward’s lack of production offensively, his minutes have already declined, which could lead to a DNP soon. Meanwhile, Williams would not necessarily provide a scoring punch, but he could give the Thunder another look defensively.

Oklahoma City has played bigger in this series at times with the duo of Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams. Although Daigneault has rarely gone small through two games, Kenrich Williams played roughly a third of his minutes as the five this season and could offer a change of pace.

“He's an important part of our team as I've said before, we need him to be ready because of the level he competes at, the physicality brings," Daigneault said. "I have a lot of trust in him, obviously, he's built that over time. So we need him to be ready.”

Although he is not a great offensive player, Williams has been impactful throughout the season. Averaging 4.7 points in 14.9 minutes in the regular season, Williams was a reliable shooter for Oklahoma City. Shooting 39.7% on two 3-point attempts per game, Williams would likely not be in danger of getting played off the floor.

Daigneault has not shown much interest in altering the postseason rotation yet, but the Coach of the Year could have some tricks up his sleeves as the series shifts to Dallas.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.