There's no Reason to Worry About OKC Thunder Star Jalen Williams

Despite a down season affected by injuries in 2025-26, Jalen Williams is set to return to All-Star form this season.

Jan 11, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Jalen Williams (8) laughs after a play against the Miami Heat during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma City Thunder star guard/forward Jalen Williams had a rough season in 2025-26; there's no doubting that. He averaged his lowest points-per-game tally since his rookie season while being limited to just 33 games due to a string of injuries.

The Santa Clara product is one of the league's top defenders and an incredibly impactful offensive player when healthy, earning both an All-Star nod and Third-Team All-NBA honors in his last healthy season, OKC's championship-winning 2024-25 campaign. He averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists that season, all while defending every position on the floor.

Unfortunately, maintaining good health was the issue for him last year, after being consistently available through his first three seasons in the league.

Williams averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and a career-high 5.5 assists per game last season, but shot a career-low 29.9% from downtown. He struggled to get back to form after missing the start of the season recovering from offseason wrist surgery, and then dealt with multiple hamstring issues just when he found his groove.

"It's just more like the year I had kind of sucked," Williams said in his end-of-season media availability. "I'm going to sit with that for a little bit and get back at it."

Despite a season full of setbacks, Williams is set to return to All-Star form as the Thunder look to remain one of the league's top contenders in 2026-27. He'll be looked to as a main option on both offense and defense in a new-look Thunder roster.

His health will be of utmost importance to Oklahoma City this season, after falling in seven games to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 Western Conference Finals, largely due to both him and Ajay Mitchell being sidelined due to injury. Overall, there's no reason to be worried about the Thunder star not being able to find momentum this season; his injury-filled 2025-26 is an outlier in his first four seasons as a pro.

Anyways, there's no better way to lower the chances of dealing with another injury-riddled season than following in the footsteps of someone who consistently maintains their health through a whole 82+ game campaign: two-time Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Williams has been working with his teammate's trainer this offseason, putting him in a good position to return to form.

After a difficult season, Williams is poised to get back to top form next season, potentially surpassing his career-best 2024-25 campaign.