With OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander set to be shelved through the All-Star break due to a strained abdominal muscle, the league announced on Sunday that Rockets big man Alperen Sengun will take his spot on the World team during the illustrious mid-season exhibition.
Of course, this wasn't the only news on the day regarding an on-court replacement for the reigning MVP, as 2025 All-Star Jalen Williams was officially taken off the injury report ahead of Monday's bout against the Lakers and, in turn, will presumably take over as Oklahoma City's number one option in his absence.
Just in the nick of time, too!
Jalen Williams returns to Thunder for one of hardest stretches
After missing the first five weeks of action while rehabbing from offseason wrist surgery, the forward ultimately made his debut on November 28 and logged 24 straight games before being sidelined with a hamstring strain for the last 10.
Over this recent stretch, the Thunder have only managed to compile a 5-5 record, though they have now lost two straight with Gilgeous-Alexander out of the lineup.
Adding a proven All-NBA talent like J-Dub, who, over the last three seasons, has averaged 19.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.7 boards on 50.4 percent shooting from the floor and 38.2 percent shooting from distance, should only help get this hobbled club back on track.
The timing is rather convenient for Oklahoma City, for they are heading into one of the roughest stretches of what was always slated to be their toughest month of the campaign.
Including their upcoming matchup against Los Angeles (32-19), five of their remaining eight matchups in February are against true playoff contenders from both conferences, with the Cavaliers (32-21), Raptors (32-22), Pistons (38-13), and Nuggets (34-19) rounding out their final four-game stretch.
Fortunately, Williams will be joining forces for this grueling ride ahead with wunderkind big man Chet Holmgren, who just recently cemented himself as only the seventh OKC player to be voted in as an NBA All-Star in the franchise's 18 years of existence.
With the two of them on the floor together this year, the Thunder have proven to be quite a ferocious force, ranking in the 93 percentile in point differential (+11.0) and the 96 percentile in opponent points per 100 possessions (106.2) while going 15-7 through 22 games played.
As this team has proven over their past couple of games, even at sub full strength Oklahoma City is still capable of hanging around and competing with some of the game's biggest juggernauts.
However, from the eye test coupled with their 0-2 record, it's more than evident that they still need another top-flight difference-maker to over the hump and back into the win column.
Without Gilgeous-Alexander in the fold, Williams (assuming there aren't any set backs to his hamstring) should prove to be exactly that.