Kenrich Williams Could Provide Reliable Small-Ball Minutes Next Season

The Thunder are likely to add more size this offseason, but maintaining a five-out look will continue to be important.

Mar 24, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams (34) drives towards the basket against Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports | Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City might look to address its size deficiencies this offseason, but going small is still an important piece of the puzzle.

Chet Holmgren’s rookie season marked the beginning of a new era, which will see the Thunder with a 7-footer down low for the foreseeable future. Along with his ability to rebound and block shots, Holmgren can do almost anything offensively. However, his struggles to guard effectively on the perimeter leave a role for one of the Thunder’s longest-tenured players.

Kenrich Williams has been the Thunder’s answer as a small-ball five over the past few seasons. Although his 6-foot-6 frame seems far too small to compete inside, Williams’ skill set has been enough.

His most valuable asset as a small-ball five has been the Thunder’s ability to switch everything without worrying about a significant mismatch. Although that works best when other teams go small, Williams has held his own defensively against players such as Anthony Davis.

This season, Williams had the least playing time of his career at only 14.9 minutes per game. Yet, he might have found the role that will keep him in Oklahoma City beyond 2024. Playing roughly a third of his minutes at center and almost all of his minutes in the frontcourt, Williams was consistently able to give the Thunder a new look when Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams were off the floor.

As Oklahoma City looks to address its rebounding issues over the next several weeks, keeping Williams in mind as a backup big could help the team make tough decisions. Although Williams does not have the size of Jaylin Williams, he was often more effective because of his versatility.

Shooting 39.7% from 3-point range last season, Williams was also a reliable floor spacer. Although Williams might lack size, he could be the Thunder’s ideal option as a perimeter-oriented big if they add a reliable rebounder off the bench.

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