OKC Thunder: Jalen Williams is Ready to Get Back to his Usual Self This Offseason

The Thunder wing had injury troubles this year, but is ready to help his team once again.

May 18, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) reacts in double overtime against the San Antonio Spurs during game one of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

The Thunder's star wing player is looking to get his career back on track next season. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t get the end result they wanted out of this year, as they came up short in the postseason, losing in the Western Conference Finals. It was a hard-fought series that went to seven games with the San Anotinio Spurs, and if OKC had access to all of its weapons, the series could have ended differently. 

The Thunder were without both Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams for most of the series, and you have to wonder, could a player of the caliber of, say, Williams have shifted the series to where Oklahoma City would have won? 

The Thunder will never know that question for sure, but Williams is now working to make sure that his team doesn’t have to go without one of its best players again. He had a rough injury cycle this season, only playing 33 games in the regular season, due to both wrist and hamstring injuries. 

This was unfortunate, as whenever he was on the floor, Williams was hooping. He averaged 17.1 points per game, 5.5 assists and 4.6 rebounds.  Doing this well when he did play, without being able to get into a full groove during this season, is nothing short of impressive, and OKC had hoped he would be ready for the playoffs with this intensity. 

Williams would come back for the first game of the playoffs and show out against the Phoenix Suns, but would soon again be injured in Game 2, as he left after reinjuring his hamstring. He would then try to return in the conference finals, but he would only see the court in three games, and would unfortunately leave due to injury in two of those bouts. 

This had to have been a defeating time for Williams, but he expressed in his exit interview that he has to treat it the same way he did his regular-season injuries. 

“Be patient,” said Williams. “That's all I can do. You can work so hard to do something, and if it's not aligned with what God has going on, you've just got to wait.”

This patience might be the answer to his rest and recovery, but Williams is also on a mission to get back to his All-Star self. 

I'm going to sit with that for a little bit and get back at it.” Williams said. “But the summer doesn't change that. The motivation is always there. That doesn't go away.”

A little extra motivation will be added to his offseason after his team came up short, and Williams will be looking to get back to his full self, so his team can be at full power once again.