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Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams' injury has led to Ajay Mitchell's ascendence, but now media around the team think that can only go so far.

Ajay Mitchell has done more than keep the Oklahoma City Thunder afloat without Jalen Williams.

He has helped them sweep the Los Angeles Lakers, reach the Western Conference Finals unbeaten in the playoffs and raise a legitimate question about how dangerous Oklahoma City’s best lineups could become once Williams is back.

But that last part still matters most.

On the May 14 episode of “Locked On Thunder,” host Rylan Stiles and The Oklahoman’s Justin Martinez made a point that should not get lost in Mitchell’s breakout: the Thunder still “need” Williams to win the championship. Stiles argued that Oklahoma City’s title odds without a healthy Williams “drops exponentially,” while Martinez said the Thunder would need Williams’ two-way versatility no matter who they face next.

That is not a knock on Mitchell. It is the opposite. His rise gives OKC another creator. Williams’ return could give the Thunder something closer to a playoff cheat code.

Jalen Williams Injury Update: Thunder Still Awaiting Return From Hamstring Injury

Williams has been out with a left hamstring strain and has not played since Game 2 of Oklahoma City’s first-round series against the Phoenix Suns. NBA.com noted that Mitchell’s play has helped the Thunder overcome Williams’ absence during their undefeated playoff start.

The Thunder then finished off the Lakers with a 115-110 win in Game 4 on May 11, completing the sweep behind 35 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 28 from Mitchell.

That production is why this has become more than a standard injury story. Mitchell averaged 22.5 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 1.8 steals against the Lakers, according to the “Locked On Thunder” discussion. Stiles compared Mitchell’s leap to Jalen Brunson’s 2022 playoff breakout with the Dallas Mavericks, while Martinez agreed that Mitchell has shown Brunson-like poise, pace and finishing ability.

Still, Martinez pushed back on the idea that Mitchell’s emergence makes Williams optional.

“We saw he was missing that Laker series,” Martinez said on the podcast, noting that Williams would have been a natural bigger defender against LeBron James and could be important in a potential matchup involving Victor Wembanyama.

That is the core of the Thunder’s situation. Mitchell has replaced some of the shot creation. He has not replaced all of Williams’ size, defensive flexibility or playoff experience.

When Is Jalen Williams Coming Back?

There is no firm public return date for Williams yet.

The cleanest read is that the Western Conference Finals are the next realistic window. The Thunder bought themselves time by sweeping the Lakers, but until Williams is upgraded on the injury report or Thunder coach Mark Daigneault gives a more specific update, his exact return remains uncertain.

That uncertainty is why the Mitchell breakout is so important. Oklahoma City has survived without Williams because Mitchell has given the Thunder another on-ball scorer next to Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren. But the podcast framed Williams as the piece that can turn OKC from dangerous to overwhelming.

Stiles argued that a lineup built around Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell, Williams and Holmgren could become a Thunder “death lineup.” The reason is simple: all three perimeter players can touch the paint, create shots and force defensive help, while Holmgren can finish plays as a lob threat, cutter or floor-spacer.

Martinez agreed with the concept, though he noted that the fifth player could depend on matchup and shooting. Alex Caruso, Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein were all mentioned as possible fits depending on whether OKC needs shooting, defense or size.

The bigger point: Williams’ return would not push Mitchell back into irrelevance. It could make Mitchell’s new role more dangerous.

Instead of asking Mitchell to carry the full second-option burden, OKC could stagger Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Mitchell so at least one high-level creator is almost always pressuring the defense. That was one of the podcast’s biggest takeaways from the Lakers series: the Thunder’s non-Shai minutes, which were a problem in past playoff runs, have become a strength.

The Thunder Next Play the Spurs or Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals

Oklahoma City’s next opponent will come from the San Antonio Spurs-Minnesota Timberwolves series.

That is where Williams’ status could become even more important. The “Locked On Thunder” discussion focused heavily on a possible Spurs matchup because of Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox and San Antonio’s ability to stress OKC’s defense. Stiles and Martinez both pointed to Williams’ size and versatility as tools the Thunder would badly want in that series.

Against Minnesota, the need would be different but still obvious. Williams gives OKC another strong wing defender, another ball-handler against playoff pressure and another scorer who can keep the offense from becoming too dependent on Gilgeous-Alexander.

That is why the Mitchell story should not be framed as “the Thunder found their Jalen Williams replacement.”

They may have found something better: a way to make Williams’ return even more damaging for everyone else.

Mitchell has changed the Thunder’s playoff math. Williams can still change their championship ceiling.