Getty
Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder have played the majority of this season without Jalen Williams due to a bunch of injuries. Williams began the campaign on the shelf due to two separate wrist surgeries. He also suffered a couple of hamstring strains in the past two months.
“J-Dub” played through a wrist injury during the Thunder’s championship run. He initially got the injury late last season before finally going under the knife in July 2025. He had another procedure in late October to remove screws that were causing irritation and discomfort, as per NBA.com.
After missing the first 19 games of the season, Williams struggled with his shot initially. He was starting to find his rhythm when he strained his right hamstring on January 19 against the Miami Heat. He missed the next 10 games before returning on February 9 in a win over the LA Lakers.
In just his second game back, Williams re-aggravated his injury and went on to miss 16 consecutive games. He played again on March 23 against the Philadelphia 76ers and has appeared in four straight contests.
Williams Shares Update on Wrist Injury
Speaking to the media after the Thunder’s win over the New York Knicks on Sunday, Williams was asked about his shooting hand. He has shot well in three out of his four games since his return. He explained how his hamstring injuries helped in his full recovery from his wrist injury.
“My hand feels fine, to be honest,” Williams said. “I said before, like low-key having the hamstring injury helped me work through it, and it just gave me more time to actually like shoot. That was the hardest part, like going through the whole summer not being able to shoot and then coming in with a week of practice and then playing.”
Williams added that he’s no longer worried about his wrist injury, but his hamstring is a different story. He feels ready to play for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs, though it will all come down to his preparation and readiness.
SGA Stresses Williams’ Importance
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – JUNE 22: Jalen Williams #8 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts during the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers in Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 22, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Despite his injury-plagued season, the Thunder have a record of 22-8 without Williams. They have been atop the West standings throughout the campaign, with Ajay Mitchell stepping up and having a breakout season.
In his postgame interview on Sunday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander revealed the importance of “J-Dub” in the Thunder’s quest to win back-to-back NBA championships.
“He’s one of the best players on this team, and he’s one of the biggest reasons we won last year, and if we’re going to win again, we’re going to need him to be that guy,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, via Sporting News.
The Thunder have seven games left in the regular season, but they can’t afford a setback. The San Antonio Spurs are just 2.5 games behind, and they own the tiebreaker over the defending NBA champs.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He’s currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
More Heavy on Thunder
Loading more stories