OKLAHOMA CITY — After Oklahoma City Thunder center Jaylin Williams recorded his second triple-double, head coach Mark Daigneault reflected on the beginning of Williams' career. During the 2022 second-round pick's time with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder's G League affiliate, Daigneault, noticed Jaylin's three-point shot almost immediately. It's become an integral facet of his game at the NBA level.
Daigneault told the story of when he found out about Williams' outside touch.
“He came into training camp as a rookie and was firing away,” Daigneault said. “I've said this before but when a guy comes in and is shooting it with that type of confidence, you just kind of take note. He didn't shoot it great. DJ White, who's the Blue GM now, was a video assistant at the time. I remember watching practice film early, and I was like, ‘Can J-Will shoot?' because I didn't know.
“But he was firing it up like he could, and DJ White was like, “Yeah, I think he can shoot.” And it was like his first week on the job, and I was like, that's your stake. DJ White was 1-0 on that one. He came in firing, and then he developed a nice diet and confidence. And has stuck with it. He obviously had a great game, but he's a great developmental story for us. He's a great leader for this team. Can't say enough about him,” Daigneault concluded.
Williams finished with 19 points, including 3-of-5 from deep, 17 rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals. He helped lead the Thunder to a 133-100 win against the Philadelphia 76ers.
How Jaylin Williams expanded his game with the Thunder
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Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) runs down the court after scoring against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter at Paycom Center
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was impressed with Wednesday's win, including Jaylin Williams' production on both ends of the floor. After the game, Williams addressed how he added a three-point shot despite his limited shooting at the collegiate level.
“I didn't shoot a lot at Arkansas because I kind of just played my role. We had a lot of great scorers,” Williams said. “I played with JD Notae. He was one of the best scorers in the nation. So, I knew getting him open shots was a great thing. Pre-draft, I shot a lot of shots every single day. Six days a week, I was working out. Two workouts a day on the court. Probably shooting thousands of shots a day. I knew that expanding my game to outside was going to be super important.”
The Thunder will host the Hornets at the Paycom Center on Friday.