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The OKC Thunder is waiting to learn which team it'll face in the Western Conference finals, but it's also waiting for the return of Jalen Williams.
Williams has been sidelined since April 22 with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, which OKC is re-evaluating on a weekly basis. The All-NBA forward was seen at practice Friday, although it remains unclear how much he participated and how close he is to returning.
“He’s progressing," head coach Mark Daigneault said of Williams after practice. "Same stuff. I'm not going to give you the blow-by-blow on the details, but he continues to make progress and is doing a great job.”
OKC will face the winner of the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves. San Antonio holds a 3-2 lead in that best-of-seven series with Game 6 scheduled for Friday. Game 7, if necessary, would be on Sunday.
More: When does OKC Thunder play? Western Conference finals schedule scenarios for NBA Playoffs
If that series ends in six games, OKC will host Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Monday. If it ends in seven games, OKC will host Game 1 on Wednesday. Tipoff times have not yet been determined.
That would give Williams 25-27 days of recovery time for his injury, which he sustained during Game 2 of a first-round series against the Phoenix Suns. A Grade 1 hamstring strain typically takes 1-3 weeks to come back from.
Fortunately for OKC, Ajay Mitchell has shined in a starting role during Williams' absence. The sophomore guard averaged 22.5 points, six assists and 1.8 steals during a second-round sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Mitchell should continue to play a large role upon Williams' return, and the two teammates will likely spend a good amount of time on the floor together. Both players are strong shot creators and can play off of each other, along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“I think it’s what you see with Ajay, generally, when he’s out there with Shai," Daigneault said. "I think it’s what you’ve seen in the past with Shai and Dub (Williams) being out there together. Just having two guys who are a threat to create and are always in attack mode is really helpful. And then obviously Shai is going to get doubled at times. And when the ball can come out to a guy who’s that much of a threat, it impacts the next closeout, which puts the next pass at a huge advantage.
"I think that’s what everybody saw a lot of in the Lakers series. Shai gets two on him, it comes out to Ajay, he’s kind of facilitating the next play and then it’s the next guy who’s at a huge advantage to make a play. That’s all downstream of those guys’ gravity.”
More: Ajay Mitchell almost makes you forget about Jalen Williams' injury in Thunder playoff run
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Jalen Williams injury status for OKC Thunder in 2026 NBA Playoffs
Continue reading...
Williams has been sidelined since April 22 with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, which OKC is re-evaluating on a weekly basis. The All-NBA forward was seen at practice Friday, although it remains unclear how much he participated and how close he is to returning.
“He’s progressing," head coach Mark Daigneault said of Williams after practice. "Same stuff. I'm not going to give you the blow-by-blow on the details, but he continues to make progress and is doing a great job.”
OKC will face the winner of the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves. San Antonio holds a 3-2 lead in that best-of-seven series with Game 6 scheduled for Friday. Game 7, if necessary, would be on Sunday.
More: When does OKC Thunder play? Western Conference finals schedule scenarios for NBA Playoffs
If that series ends in six games, OKC will host Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Monday. If it ends in seven games, OKC will host Game 1 on Wednesday. Tipoff times have not yet been determined.
That would give Williams 25-27 days of recovery time for his injury, which he sustained during Game 2 of a first-round series against the Phoenix Suns. A Grade 1 hamstring strain typically takes 1-3 weeks to come back from.
Fortunately for OKC, Ajay Mitchell has shined in a starting role during Williams' absence. The sophomore guard averaged 22.5 points, six assists and 1.8 steals during a second-round sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Mitchell should continue to play a large role upon Williams' return, and the two teammates will likely spend a good amount of time on the floor together. Both players are strong shot creators and can play off of each other, along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“I think it’s what you see with Ajay, generally, when he’s out there with Shai," Daigneault said. "I think it’s what you’ve seen in the past with Shai and Dub (Williams) being out there together. Just having two guys who are a threat to create and are always in attack mode is really helpful. And then obviously Shai is going to get doubled at times. And when the ball can come out to a guy who’s that much of a threat, it impacts the next closeout, which puts the next pass at a huge advantage.
"I think that’s what everybody saw a lot of in the Lakers series. Shai gets two on him, it comes out to Ajay, he’s kind of facilitating the next play and then it’s the next guy who’s at a huge advantage to make a play. That’s all downstream of those guys’ gravity.”
More: Ajay Mitchell almost makes you forget about Jalen Williams' injury in Thunder playoff run
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Jalen Williams injury status for OKC Thunder in 2026 NBA Playoffs
Continue reading...
