After a season ravaged by constant injuries and DNPs, OKC Thunder star Jalen Williams is champing at the bit as he awaits tip-off for the 2026-27 campaign.
During a recent interview at his youth camp out in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Williams revealed that his lack of availability last season now has him equipped with "a lot more enthusiasm" to head back to the hardwood, noting that he's been "bored all summer" as he waits for the season to officially come underway.
Due to residual effects from offseason wrist surgery last summer and nagging hamstring strains throughout the year, the wing was limited to just 33 games played in 2025-26.
When on the floor, he was clearly a shell of his full-strength self from an efficiency standpoint, shooting just 29.9 percent from deep (shot 38.2 percent the previous three years) and boasting a career-worst 3.3 turnovers per 100 possessions.
However, he still showed flashes of his jack-of-all-trades playstyle, what with his per-game averages of 17.1 points, 5.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in a career-low 28.2 minutes a night.
Now, entering season five of his career, he's ready to put the results from "working out for basically a year without playing" to full use as the Thunder push for their second championship in three seasons.
Thunder will make biggest addition in NBA if Jalen Williams is healthy
Assuming Jalen Williams enters the upcoming season fully healthy and remains that way throughout the year, the Thunder will have made the biggest talent addition in the entire league without having made a single move.
Even with him regularly out of the lineup last season, Oklahoma City was still able to clinch their third-straight number one seeded finish in the Western Conference standings and came within just one win of heading to their second consecutive NBA Finals.
His lackluster showings in the regular season aside, when healthy and suiting up in the playoffs this past year, J-Dub reminded everyone how much better he makes this Thunder team.
From dropping averages of 20.5 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals on 61.5 percent shooting from the floor and 50.0 percent shooting from deep to help guide OKC to a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Suns in round one to having the team rank in the 88 percentile in point differential and the 91 percentile in opponent points per 100 possessions with him on the floor, it's undeniable that Jalen Williams' full-go presence only benefits the Thunder.
This championship-tested and dynasty-aspiring club is now gearing up to (re)add an established All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive talent to its arsenal.
Good luck to the rest of the league!
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