The Oklahoma City Thunder have managed to stay atop the Western Conference all season, and they've done so without one of their star players for most of it. Jalen Williams has been sidelined with a hamstring injury for the past few weeks, and with a couple of games left in the season, he is set to make his return, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
“Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams is off the injury report and will return to action on Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers, multiple sources tell ESPN. Williams missed the last 5-plus weeks due to a hamstring strain, and now is back with 11 regular-season games left,” Sharania wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Head coach Mark Daigneault noted a week ago that Williams was progressing from his injury, and it looks like he may have been closer than many had initially thought.
Williams has only played in 26 games this season due to the hamstring injury, and missed the beginning of the year as he recovered from wrist surgery in the offseason.
The Thunder have fared well without Williams, but they'll be getting him back at the right time of the season with just a few weeks remaining. It'll be interesting to see if the team is careful on how much he plays in his return, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he were on a minutes restriction for the remainder of the regular season.
Williams is a big part of the Thunder, and he was key to them winning the NBA championship last season. They'll need him again this season as the competition may be even tougher, but the Thunder have shown that they know how to battle adversity.
If Williams can find a rhythm in these next 11 games, he should be ready to go at full force when the playoffs arrive.
