Monday night was the final step for the Oklahoma City Thunder to become whole again, minus the Ajay Mitchell suspension, as their star wing returned to the court after a 16-game absence.
Jalen Williams’ Return for OKC
It’s been a frustrating season for Williams, who’s just a year removed from what was likely the most successful of his career. Last season, he became a first-time All-Star, made the second All-Defensive team and third All-NBA team, and was the second option, including scoring 40 points en route to capturing his first-ever championship with OKC.
This season began with Williams first working his way back from a torn wrist suffered at the end of last regular season and dealing with it throughout the entire postseason run, missing the first 19 games of the season. Once back, he struggled with the discomfort of the new reality of his wrist (post-surgery), reflected in the drop in his 3-point volume and efficiency.
Then, on January 17th, against the Miami Heat, he would strain his hamstring, missing another 10 games. He would return on February 9th against the Los Angeles Lakers, play two games, and then reaggravate his hamstring on February 11th against the Phoenix Suns, missing another 16 games.
Now we return to the present, where Williams officially made his return on March 23rd against the Philadelphia 76ers. In his return against the 76ers, Jalen Williams didn’t miss a beat, as he put up 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the floor, with 6 assists, and 4 rebounds, in 20 minutes of action.
Welcome back, Jalen Williams! Now, let’s talk about what his return actually means for OKC?
First, it means Williams will receive much-needed time to work his way back into game shape, reacclimate himself back into the rotation, and find some rhythm before the playoffs. Despite only appearing in 27 games, he’s still averaging 17.5 points, 5.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals, on 48/31/83 shooting splits. However, it’ll take time to ramp back up. At the time of his return, there’ll be three weeks left and 11 games remaining for OKC, making it the perfect time to do so.
Finding comfort from beyond the arc will be crucial for Williams as the Thunder certainly need him to be the best version of himself in their hopes of repeating last year’s postseason run.
Williams’ return adds some much-needed creation to the Thunder’s rotation and alleviates pressure off of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell in that area. OKC most notably missed Williams’ versatility, which allows him to plug into various lineups, defend multiple positions, and act as the primary or secondary creator when needed.
His presence boosts both the starting lineup and the bench unit. Making OKC’s lineup versatility even better.
Obviously, the Thunder will remain cautious with Williams, especially with how quickly he re-aggravated his hamstring upon his last return. After all, his evaluation window opened up on March 7th, and he returned 16 days later.
The Thunder are fending off a Spurs team that is peaking at the perfect time as they currently hold a three-game lead for the No. 1 seed. While they have the toughest remaining schedule, Williams’ return raises the team’s ceiling and gives them better odds of maintaining their lead, which could have huge ramifications.
Main Image: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
