Since returning to the OKC Thunder lineup in late November, Jalen Williams has faced some surprise criticism for his impact on the team.
From his lackluster long-range shooting clip of 30.2 percent to the fact that the ball club has gone from 18-1 without him to, now, 13-6 with him in tow, the reality of his reintegration to the rotation has certainly fallen short of expectations.
Still, there's plenty of reason to be optimistic that Williams will eventually tap back into his All-Star form this year, as the inevitable rust that formed as a result of his offseason wrist surgery is presumably wearing off with every passing day.
Heading into Friday's matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, the hope is that the forward will wind up showing signs of exactly this being the case, as the Thunder are going to need him to lead the charge with their slew of injury-induced absences.
Thunder will rely on Jalen Williams to lead the charge against Memphis
As things currently stand, Oklahoma City is heading into their road title against the Grizzlies without the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle), Chet Holmgren (shin), Cason Wallace (toe), Isaiah Hartenstein (calf), and Jaylin Williams (heel) in the mix, while Alex Caruso is questionable with back soreness.
If ever there were a time for J-Dub to display some flashes of his 2024-25 self, it would be against Memphis.
Despite still being atop the league's standings with a record of 31-7, the Thunder have found themselves in a bit of a rut as of late. Since their NBA Cup semifinal loss against the San Antonio Spurs, OKC has barely managed to stay above .500, going 7-6 along the way.
They only recently snapped a two-game losing streak (the second over their last 13 outings), and are looking to do everything in their power to stave off any more unnecessary losses if they can help it.
Though doing so without their head honcho in Gilgeous-Alexander may be tough, perhaps a locked-in and ready-to-go Williams may be all they need.
Let's not forget that the 24-year-old is an established All-NBA and All-Defensive talent who is coming off a career-best season where he posted sensational averages of 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 48.4 percent from the floor and 36.5 percent from deep.
Even this season, while dealing with his personal struggles, he still finds himself stuffing the stat sheet with 17.2 points, 5.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per night on 46.0 percent shooting.
Considering he's slated to be the lone active member of Oklahoma City's Big Three on the night, one should anticipate Williams serving as Mark Daigneault's 1A against the Grizzlies, which, innately, should prove to be his biggest test yet on the season and could wind up being the perfect opportunity to silence his critics.