https://youtu.be/znlJyFs385U
The old Kenrich Williams, the Kenrich Williams of last season, the Kenrich Williams who averaged six points per 36 minutes, would never have put on a scoring exhibition like this. But this is not the old Kenrich Williams. This is the NEW Kenrich Williams. And the new Kenrich Williams is not only able to score the ball, but is WILLING to score the ball (sometimes). The new Kenrich Williams also has a funny hair tuft on the back of his head, but I have been informed that it is a “shag”, and that it is not an “afro mullet”, and that its odd appearance is entirely intentional.
I’m sure Williams realizes that the situation he’s in is not guaranteed to happen ever again. There’s an absolute void of scorers on the Thunder, and it’s even worse when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is sitting the game out, so the time has never been better for him to see if this “scoring” thing is for him or if he just wants to stick to being solely a hustle player forever. And I would say the “scoring” thing is working out fine for him. He had nineteen points a couple games back, and now he forays deep into the twenties with a 24-point outing.
Williams previously displayed so little initiative in attempting to score that external forces must have been at play here. I’m guessing somebody in William’s entourage (all NBA players, even scrubs, have entourages) pulled him aside and told him point-blank that the entourage would dissolve unless Williams started taking advantage of this opportunity he has on the Thunder. Threats of physical violence may have also been deployed. Is Williams’ haircut some kind of initiation ritual? Probably. But it’s paying dividends, and Williams isn’t necessarily a guarantee to fall out of the NBA like I thought he was last season. That’s called progress, folks.