Jalen Williams OUT vs Indiana Pacers, No Timeline For Return

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be without Jalen Williams for their tilt with the Pacers due to an ankle injury, and Mark Daigneault has no timeline for his return at this moment.

On Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies, the OKC Thunder saw Jalen Williams exit the game early due to an ankle sprain that seemingly came as a result of him stepping on a camera operator's foot on the baseline.

Williams entered the game listed as questionable with a right ankle sprain and went through the team's shoot-around this morning, but Mark Daigneault announced prior to tip-off against Indiana on Tuesday the starting forward would miss his seventh game of the season tonight. 

Mark Daigneault announces Jalen Williams (Ankle) is OUT tonight vs Indiana.

— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) March 12, 2024

"It is an ankle sprain, that stuff is dictated by how it improves. It is just like any other ankle sprain, it is going to take a certain amount of time to improve and we are going to take it day-to-day," Mark Daigneault said, not being able to commit further due to NBA Policy. 

Though, since the injury, Williams has made a few cryptic social media posts. But the OKC Thunder bench boss isn't noticing a chance in the Sophomore saying: “He seems fine, he is the same guy every day … he was great today, he was his normal self." 

While it is frustrating that the injury occurred from Williams stepping on a camera person sitting baseline, Daigneault assured the media that the camera operated was within the rules saying: "The rules are the rules, the person he stepped on was within the rules behind whatever line [is on the court for the camera operators], we can get into the philosophical talk about where the camera guy should sit, but the camera man in that particular case was in the right spot."

The OKC Thunder coach kept true to his self-imposed rule of not announcing a starter during his pregame media availability but each time the Thunder have needed a swing starter they have called on rookie Cason Wallace. However, in this game Gordon Hayward will start in place of Williams marking the first swing starter outside of the rookie. 

Up next, the Thunder host the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday it is unclear if Williams will be back for that Nationally televised contest. 

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