Jalen Williams to Miss Season Start with the Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder star forward Jalen Williams will not be able to participate in the season opener against the Houston Rockets due to recovery from surgery on his right wrist performed during the break. The Thunder’s coach, Mark Daigneault, has kept a low profile regarding Williams’ recovery time, indicating that he is “progressing” and meeting the expected schedule. Williams, who was selected for the All-NBA third team and the All-Defensive second team last season, suffered a scapholunate ligament tear in his wrist on April 9. The surgery was postponed until after Oklahoma City’s championship run. During the playoffs, Williams required nearly 30 injections for wrist pain, where he averaged 21.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. He highlighted a 40-point performance in the Thunder’s crucial Game 5 victory in the NBA Finals.Williams, who signed a maximum extension of his rookie contract with supermax escalators this summer, commented that he knew he might not be ready for the start of the season when he underwent surgery in early July. He didn’t start throwing with his right hand until this month. Williams preferred not to specify a timeframe for his return. “When I feel I can be one hundred percent, then I will return,” Williams said during the preseason. “Part of the process is simply figuring out how to get my jump shot back. A lot of it is simply about getting the feel back.”It was a necessary evil to win. I would have cut off my hand to win a championship.
Jalen Williams
