Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams has been ruled out for the team’s season opener against the Houston Rockets. Williams is still rehabilitating after undergoing offseason wrist surgery after a gruesome injury he suffered in the playoffs. On April 9, he completely tore his scapholunate ligament in his right wrist. He was determined to put off the surgery until after the team’s run to a championship.
During the playoffs, Williams showcased remarkable resilience, averaging 21.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. To do so, he played through a lot of pain, getting close to 30 pain killing injections just to help his wrist pain. He went on to produce an epic 40-point performance in the pivotal Game 5 of that year’s NBA Finals. That performance was one of the most important reasons for the Thunder’s success.
Although Williams’ playoff stats were incredible, the news was not good as he knew surgery was unavoidable. In early July, he had the procedure done. He did realize the impact it would have on his preparedness for the next season.
I knew going into surgery that I wouldn’t be prepared to kick off the season,” explained Williams.
The Thunder’s head coach, Mark Daigneault, provided an update on Williams’ recovery, stating that he is “progressing” and “right on schedule.” Even after the season was paused, Williams had yet to reacclimate himself to shooting with his right hand, starting only this month. Yet he has refused to commit to any date upon which he’ll return to the court.
“Just whenever I feel like I can be a hundred percent, then I’ll rock out,” Williams said regarding his return.
A frequent national debate topic during last year’s campaign, Williams capped his breakout fourth season with third-team All-NBA and second-team All-Defensive Team honors. And fans and teammates alike are waiting, hoping for his return from that hellacious accident. That excitement has only increased since he signed a maximum extension of his rookie contract this summer, with supermax escalators.
The Thunder, as usual, are working under the radar as they prepare for their title defense. They have to make adjustments right away as the season progresses without one of their top-scoring contributors. The organization’s thoughts continue to be with Williams and everyone is hopeful for a quick recovery and return to top form.
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