OKC Thunder Star Jalen Williams in Great Form in Season's Final Month

After a season full of success in 2024-25, a season in which his team won the NBA title, he was a first-time NBA All-Star, All-Defensive and All-NBA team member, which was capped off by signing a long-term extension with the team that drafted him, Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams's 2025-26 has been full of frustration. After missing the start of the season due to wrist surgery for an injury he played through in the playoffs, Williams has been limited to just 32 games this season, with lingering hamstring issues throughout the middle of the season hindering him even more.

Now back just in time for the home stretch of the regular season and the playoff push with a chance to repeat as champions, Williams has hit his stride since returning to the starting lineup. Despite not scoring the ball at the same level he did a season ago, he is back to making an all-around impact, placing his fingerprints on every game he touches.

In his 32 games this season, Williams has averaged 17.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game in 28.3 minutes. He's shot 48.3% from the floor but 30.3% from three-point range.

In his six games since returning from his second hamstring strain, the Santa Clara product has averaged 15.0 points and 5.7 assists in just 24.7 minutes per game, while shooting 49.3%. The Thunder have outscored opponents by an average of 12.5 points per game with Williams on the floor in the stretch.

After a long road to recovery, the Thunder star is back playing the game he loves. After OKC's 146-111 victory over Utah, his teammate, Chet Holmgren, highlighted his journey from a player perspective.

"I wasn’t there for Dub’s surgery, but I’m sure he didn’t enjoy it. Having to go all summer and figure out how to work and improve without even being able to use his shooting hand takes determination and creativity," Holmgren said. "And then to have a back-to-back hamstring [strain], it’s extremely frustrating. There are a lot of emotions involved, but I think he has handled it just about as well as anybody could.”

Williams was everywhere in the game against the Jazz, leading the Thunder in minutes played with 26, his second-highest total since returning from the injury. He scored 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting, assisting on seven made baskets.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault complimented his playmaking after the game.

"He punched the paint and found some really good sprays and made the right plays and set a really good tone,” Daigneault said.

Consistency and health will be the two factors Oklahoma City and Williams will prioritize in the final four games of the regular season, as the team's magic number to clinch the No. 1 seed now sits at two.