OKC Thunder Star Forward Shines in Return in Preseason Action

A healthy Jalen Williams may solve all of the Thunder's problems.

Oct 7, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams (8) drives against Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) during the first half of a preseason game at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma City’s star forward returned to action, and he didn’t waste any time showcasing his skills.

On Wednesday night, the Thunder hosted the Milwaukee Bucks in their second game of preseason action. After resting most of the rotation on Tuesday night in Tulsa, some of the Thunder’s stars took the floor in Paycom Center. 

While Aday Mara’s big night and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s perfect game stole the spotlight, Jalen Williams’ return certainly made some noise of its own. After being sidelined to end the playoffs, Williams was clearly ready to get back on the floor and make an impact. 

He finished the night with 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting while adding six assists and two steals. His impressive performance in only 19 minutes of action was a welcome sight for Oklahoma City after how the 2025-26 campaign went.

Last season often felt like a season from hell for Williams as he missed extended time to start the year recovering from wrist surgery and spent the second half of the year in and out of the lineup dealing with hamstring strains. Despite those issues, Williams’ importance to the Thunder was never in question, even as the Thunder still managed to earn the best record in the league.

On Wednesday night, Williams wasted no time showcasing how valuable he can be, putting pressure on the rim consistently, finding his teammates and being a force defensively. One of the few players around the league without any significant weaknesses, Williams should be a force to be reckoned with this season. 

While Williams’ 3-point shot was a bit rusty, missing all three of his attempts, he was perfect from inside the arc. Going 8-of-8 on two-point shots, all of which came inside the restricted area, Williams put on a clinic inside. 

More than anything else, it must’ve been a relief for Williams to get back onto the Paycom Center floor and compete once again. After never staying healthy for more than a few weeks last season, Williams having the offseason to recover appears to have done some wonders. 

With the regular season just under two weeks away, Williams will be looking to remind everyone around the league what the Thunder were missing just a few months ago. While he’ll still have some things to work through as the season gets going, his first bit of preseason action was nothing but encouraging for Williams and the Thunder.