Jalen Williams' Return Coming at Perfect Time for OKC Thunder

After missing a couple of weeks, the first-time All-Star has time to get back in a groove before the playoffs.

Mar 27, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) drives to the basket against Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City is in the final stretch of the regular season, and one of its stars is back on the floor.

On March 10, Jalen Williams suffered a hip strain that forced him to sit out the second half of the Thunder’s loss to the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately for Williams, he would also miss the Thunder’s next seven games as he nursed his injury.

After missing over two weeks, Williams made his return on Thursday in the Thunder’s win against the Memphis Grizzlies, and he had a solid outing in his first game back. Williams finished the night with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists, including eight points in the fourth, where the Thunder seized control.

Without Williams, the Thunder rattled off seven straight wins, including victories against the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons. Still, it was obvious that the Thunder will need Williams to achieve their goal of winning a championship.

As the Thunder crossed the 61-win mark on Thursday to set a new team record, Williams was able to begin his journey back into playoff form. With a game against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, the Thunder are entering their final nine games of the regular season, and only some of those games will feature the Thunder’s main guys.

With the top seed in the West locked up and the magic number for the overall No. 1 seed shrinking, the Thunder will soon be able to prioritize rest. Considering the somewhat limited reps with Chet Holmgren and Williams on the floor together this season, these remaining games could be crucial to finding the perfect rhythm going into the postseason.

This season, Williams is averaging 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.6 steals. Those numbers have vaulted him into All-NBA discussions, and Williams still needs to play another three games to qualify after his weeks-long absence. 

As Oklahoma City looks to sprint through the finish line of the regular season, getting Williams comfortable going into the postseason should be a top priority. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander seemingly has the MVP locked up, Williams has a couple of more weeks to prove himself ahead of a likely deep playoff run.

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