Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams – out since April 22 with a hamstring strain – is listed available against the San Antonio Spurs for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
Getty
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - JANUARY 23: Jalen Williams #8 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at Paycom Center on January 23, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder is set to play in the team’s upcoming Western Conference Finals matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, according to the latest injury update.
Williams has only played in two of the Thunder’s playoff games and has missed their last six with a hamstring strain, just one of many injuries that have sidelined him at multiple points this season.
However, while Williams is set to play in Oklahoma City’s Game 1 against the Spurs, his addition back into the team’s lineup could cause some concerns at potentially the toughest part of the team’s playoff run.
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 18: Jalen Williams #8 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts during the second quarter of a game against the Denver Nuggets in Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 18, 2025 in Oklahoma City.
Speaking on his podcast, Bill Simmons questioned whether the Thunder now having Williams back from injury makes them a better team amid the strong stretch they’ve played without him.
Williams didn’t suit up against the Los Angeles Lakers, a series OKC swept, and has been in and out of the lineup all year, playing in just 33 regular-season games and putting up two-year low averages in that span.
“The Jalen Williams thing…I know he’s going to be back and (the Thunder) feel good about it. But it’s a weird variable to introduce in the biggest series of the year,” Simmons said at roughly the one hour, 23-minute mark. “I don’t think it’s going to be seamless. And I do think OKC has too many guys. I don’t know about all the roles with all those guys…I don’t even think they know who their best five to seven guys are.”
Despite Williams missing time in the regular season and through the playoff so far, that hasn’t stopped the Thunder’s success, as they’ve gone undefeated through eight playoff games, and have seen players like Ajay Mitchell step up in Williams’ place.
The Thunder also had a 39-10 record without Williams during the regular season. That might say more about the team’s depth, but, it should be noted that they had a bit more success playing without their second-best player, compared to the 25-8 record they had when he was healthy.
Still, it might be champagne problems for Oklahoma City, as they are still the favorites to win the NBA Finals, and have seen massive success this season, regardless of if Williams is injured or not.
Williams is not listed on the Thunder injury report and is expected to play in Game 1 against the Spurs.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams – out since April 22 with a hamstring strain – is listed available against the San Antonio Spurs for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
“Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams – out since April 22 with a hamstring strain – is listed available against the San Antonio Spurs for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals,” Shams Charania wrote in a post on X, confirming the latest Williams injury update.
While Williams not being listed with an injury designation was the news that confirmed his status to start the series, the young wing had recently discussed his health in a video posted on YouTube.
“It’s good that I haven’t had to rush back from my hamstring stuff at all,” Williams said. “I’m actually taking like extra days now than from what was originally planned because we were up 3-0 [over the Lakers], so there was no point in going into this series and possibly hurting myself before we play the Timberwolves or the Spurs. I’m about to go into another series healthy.”
Williams said that he knows the Thunder are a strong team without him, and instead has been thinking more about his own injury return and getting back 100% healthy rather than how he is going to fit with the rotation.
“I’m never worried about the team,” Williams told ESPN. “But we have a good team, so it’s like no real rush to get back, if that makes sense. I don’t have to push certain buttons or do what I did last year [with his wrist] to get my hamstrings right. So that’s the nice part about it. But I want to play.”
It remains to be seen how getting Williams back from injury will impact the Thunder in their series against the Spurs, whether that be for better or worse. But the star is healthy and expected to start in Game 1, which comes at 7:30 pm CST on Monday, May 18, and will be live on NBC and Peacock.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。