Knicks star and Finals MVP Jalen Brunson will undergo surgery to repair an injury in his left wrist and is expected to be sidelined for at least two months. While having an expected return timeframe before the start of the regular season may be seen as fortunate, as OKC Thunder star Jalen Williams will tell you, getting cleared for basketball activities doesn't mean you're back to full form.
Like Brunson with New York this past season, Williams played through an injury in his dominant shooting wrist throughout Oklahoma City's championship run back in 2025. Despite the pain, both delivered impressive performances along the way and, in turn, played key roles in guiding their clubs to a title.
Perhaps the most remarkable individual feat of all, both were able to drop 40-plus points in decisive Finals games despite their limitations.
Now, while J-Dub's recovery timetable was initially set at 12 weeks rather than Brunson's eight, it's important to remember that regardless of the projection, a return to action doesn't necessarily mean a return to pre-surgery play.
Not right away, that is.
Thunder star a painful reminder that it takes time to return to form
Williams serves as a clear example of the fact that getting back into the swing of things after wrist surgery can take a considerable amount of time.
The Thunder star was clearly working through the rust of post-op dormancy during the early stages of his return last season, as he shot just 28.5 percent from deep through his first six games back and boasted an effective field goal percentage of just 49.7 over his first 24 games of the year.
Unfortunately for him, these struggles were never properly worked through, as he was plagued by numerous hamstring strains following his return to play, an ailment that directly held him out for 30 regular-season games and 10 playoff games.
At the end of the day, everyone's path is different. What happened to Williams may not be the same for Brunson.
However, what went down with Dub this past season is a stark reminder that nothing is guaranteed when it comes to rehab. Obstacles can pop up at any given time.
As he showed after Luka Doncic's hamstring injury this past April, Williams doesn't wish to see any other player suffer from what he went through in 2025-26. Hopefully, Brunson doesn't run into the same hurdles the Thunder star did.
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