Thunder's Lengthy Injury Report Gives Jalen Williams Opportunity to Shine

Oklahoma City got back in the win column on Wednesday, but it will need a big game from one of its stars to get another win in Memphis.

While the Thunder were able to grind out a win against the Utah Jazz back at home to end a two-game skid earlier in the week, it clearly came with a price. Going into Friday night’s contest against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Thunder will be nursing a plethora of injuries.

While Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams remain sidelined, they will also be joined by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace. Of the Thunder’s six typical starters, only two will be available for Mark Daigneault on Friday night, with none of the team’s four standard-contract big men available.

That’s where Oklahoma City will need Jalen Williams to come in and have a big night. Still struggling early in the season, Williams has been trying to adjust to his new normal following the wrist surgery that kept him out for the first month.

While he might not be playing quite up to his All-NBA standards from a year ago, he’s still averaged 17.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists across his 19 games. As his 20th game of the season looms, he might need to be ready to put up his best performance of year 4 up to this point.

In his 19 games, Williams has hit the 20-point mark six times, with a season-high of 25. Given his still-loose handle and overall offensive struggles, it wouldn’t be fair to simply expect a 30-point night just because Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren are unavailable.

However, the Thunder will likely give Williams the opportunity to play as the No. 1 option and have the green light throughout the night. While there’s always a chance that could just pile onto the frustration for Williams, it might also provide him the opportunity to play a game at full throttle without having to worry about deferring to either of Oklahoma City’s other All-Stars.

Williams’ lone game with 20 shot attempts this season came in December against Memphis, so the familiarity of the opponent Oklahoma City just swept last postseason could also help. And considering the Grizzlies have plenty of their own injuries to deal with, Williams might not even need a superstar performance to get the Thunder a win.

While this matchup could go just about any direction, there’s a real chance it could be the exact type of opportunity Williams has been needing.