Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams hadn’t been performing like his usual self. Through 24 games, Williams has been underwhelming for the defending champions. He’s averaging 16.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Shooting-wise, he hasn’t been great, only making 30.0% of his attempts from downtown. He made 36.5% of his long-range shots the previous season, and his difficulties this year have been evident.
On Sunday, it was reported that Williams will be out of the Thunder lineup indefinitely. It’s a significant blow to a team looking to repeat its success from last season. Initially, Williams was ruled out for their Monday game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Thunder has not released a timeline regarding his potential return to the lineup.
The Thunder star has sustained a right hamstring strain. Following this, fans revealed their thoughts on the star forward.
“Ouch that’s bad,” a fan said.
“Damn. How long does usually recovery take?” another fan commented.
“Damn tough tough loss next man up…” one fan said.
Other fans think that OKC will benefit from Jalen Williams’ absence.
“They play better without him. But prayers to him,” someone commented.
“Thunder might beat the 73-9 record since he’s out now,” a comment read.
“They literally play better without him,” a fan commented.
“Tbf, OKC won 17 games without him to start the season,” one fan pointed out.
At the start of the 2025-26 season, Williams missed the first 19 games for the Thunder. He underwent offseason surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist. OKC went 18-1 during that stretch. Since returning to the lineup, the team has gone 17-7.
Williams has struggled to shoot the ball since the surgery on his shooting hand.
Jalen Williams left the game against the Miami Heat
The Thunder suffered a tough 122-120 loss on Saturday. Jalen Williams was limited to just 13 minutes of action before he exited the game due to a right hamstring strain. The one-time All-Star finished with eight points, three rebounds and three assists on 60.0% shooting.
Halfway through the second quarter, Williams threw a behind-the-back pass to teammate Chet Holmgren near the basket. After the play, the forward grabbed his leg and remained in the game before OKC called a timeout. He was tended by team personnel before he walked back to the locker room.
After the game, coach Mark Daigneault told the media that Williams will be re-evaluated on Sunday. Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins spoke to the media about the importance that the star forward brings to the table.
“Obviously, Dub is huge for us,” Wiggins said. “So without him out there, we’re a different team.”
In the last 10 games, Williams hasn’t performed well. He’s averaged 15.9 points on 23.8% shooting from deep.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
