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Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Receives Upsetting Injury Update

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Elie Deglaoui | Last updated Mar 12, 2025 12:36 PM ET

With a 53-12 record, the Oklahoma City Thunder own the best record in the Western Conference by a mile. And only the Cleveland Cavaliers have a better record than them in the entire NBA. With a month left in the season, they are the best defensive team in the NBA and are statistically the fourth-best offensive team in the league. After finishing as the No. 1 seed last year, the Thunder are even better. As it stands, they are the team to beat in the West and are legitimate title contenders. However, not all has gone right for the Thunder lately. Jalen Williams, who earned his first All-Star nod earlier this year, suffered a hip injury after 13 minutes in the team’s loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday. Unfortunately, it sounds like he will miss some time.

The Thunder have already ruled Williams out for their game against the reigning champion Boston Celtics on Wednesday. However, it seems like the All-Star forward will be out of action for a little longer. According to Tim Bontemps, head coach Mark Daigneault said Williams will not appear in the team’s upcoming three-game road trip. Furthermore, Williams does not have a current timeline for his return.

Jalen Williams didn’t make the trip with the Thunder, per Mark Daigneault, who said he’s just back in OKC working out and that there isn’t a current timeline for his return.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) March 12, 2025

Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams Receives Upsetting Injury Update

How Jalen Williams’ Injury Impacts the Thunder

As it stands, it does not seem like Williams is in any danger of missing the rest of the season. It is unfortunate for the team that he suffered an injury this late into the season, but all things considered, they should be fine. The Thunder are far and away the best team in the West. Additionally, while they have not technically clinched the No. 1 seed, it is essentially all but guaranteed for them. The Thunder are still a stacked team with Williams out, and they should not worry about their standing.

On the court, however, they will feel Williams’ absence. The Colorado native is in the midst of a career year and makes an impact in every aspect of the game. This season, he is averaging 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.7 assists per game. Still, as long as he returns before the playoffs, things will work out fine for the Thunder.

The Last Word

The Thunder have not made the NBA Finals in over a decade. However, at this rate, they will likely end this drought this year. They are arguably the most complete team in all of basketball and are led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. There is some competition ahead of them, but the Thunder have a great opportunity to make a championship run. There is still a lot of basketball left to be played. However, there is no reason to believe the Thunder will not be around deep in the playoffs, and they may make it all the way to June.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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