The Oklahoma City Thunder spent what effectively amounted to the entire 2025-26 regular season waiting for Jalen Williams to truly return. Williams played well when he was healthy, but he was sidelined for 49 games and had three different stretches during which he missed at least 10 straight.
Thankfully, Williams returned both literally and figuratively at the perfect time for Oklahoma City as he turned Game 1 of the first-round series against the Phoenix Suns into a personal proving ground.
Williams was sensational during the Thunder's 119-84 domination of the Suns in Game 1. He tallied 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists, one block, and a steal on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, 2-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, and a perfect 2-of-2 mark at the free throw line.
It was a welcome reminder of the fact that Williams was an All-NBA, All-Star, and All-Defense honoree as recently as last season—and he still has room to grow at 25 years of age.
Moreover, it was a statement game from Williams, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot just 5-of-18 from the field. Oklahoma City had no trouble coming by points, of course, but Williams played a direct role in that development with his three-level scoring, playmaking, and defense.
If this is a sign of things to come, then Williams is about to remind the NBA of how critical he was to the Thunder's championship success in 2024-25.
Jalen Williams looks like himself again—at the perfect time of year
Looking exclusively at the games he played, Williams turned in a solid regular season. He averaged 17.1 points, 5.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in just 28.4 minutes per game, shooting 48.4 percent from the field along the way.
Unfortunately, his jump shot was ice cold at 29.9 percent from beyond the arc and the 49 games he missed inevitably became the primary topic of conversation.
The skeptics have no reason to speak up after Game 1, however, as Williams picked up where he left off during the 2025 postseason. He was aggressive on the drive, creative as a playmaker, and efficient as a shooter, all the while continuing to defend at a high level.
It was exactly what the Thunder expected of a player who averaged 23.4 points per game during the 2025 NBA Finals and 22.2 during the Conference Finals.
Phoenix will now be forced to search for ways to not only contain Gilgeous-Alexander, but prevent Williams from going off. That will be a tall task if he can build upon Game 1, with a 40-point performance during the 2025 NBA Finals proving how dangerous he can be when he gets going.
Whether or not Williams reaches those peaks again, the fact that he's playing like himself is an invaluable boost to the Thunder's championship dreams.
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