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The Oklahoma City Thunder acquitted themselves well in Wednesday's season-opener against the rebuilt Minnesota Timberwolves, falling 115-108 after entering the fourth quarter tied. Making the underdog Thunder's performance all the more encouraging? They didn't just do it without No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren, out for the season after suffering a Lisfranc injury to his right foot in August, but also absent another rookie lottery selection projected to play a major role in Oklahoma City's present and future.
The Thunder announced on Friday that Jalen Williams underwent successful surgery to address an orbital bone fracture sustained against Minnesota. He's scheduled to be re-evaluated in 7-10 days.
The injury occurred with 4:29 left in the first half, as Williams closed out to the corner and contested a driving dunk attempt by Minnesota forward Jaden McDaniels. Williams caught a forearm to the face as McDaniels rose to finish, immediately crumpling to the floor in pain as the whistle blew for a defensive foul. He didn't return for the game's remainder, finishing his NBA debut with five points, one assist and two turnovers on 2-of-2 shooting in just less than six minutes of play.
The biggest riser during in this year's pre-draft process, Williams was taken with the No. 12 overall pick of the 2022 draft after a standout junior season at mid-major Santa Clara. The long, smooth 6'6′ wing burnished his reputation further at Summer League and again in exhibition play, emerging as a dark-horse candidate for Rookie of the Year given his versatile offensive repertoire and overall two-way poise.
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Though the Thunder haven't released a prospective timeline for Williams' return, recent injury precedent across the league suggests he won't be sidelined too long.
Joel Embiid, for instance, returned for Game 3 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Toronto Raptors only nine days after suffering an orbital fracture. Oklahoma City obviously won't rush Williams back to the floor for regular season games like the Philadelphia 76ers did their franchise player during a pivotal playoff series, but Embiid's brief time away nevertheless prompts optimism the 21-year-old could be back on the floor for the Thunder before Thanksgiving.
Expect fellow rookie Ousmane Dieng, picked just after Williams in the late lottery, to be among the biggest beneficiaries of his absence in terms of playing time, with Oklahoma City relying even more on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey for playmaking offensively.
