All year long, perhaps the biggest question about this OKC Thunder team was whether or not star forward Jalen Williams would ever be a full go during the club's hopeful title repeat tour.
Considering the fact that he was limited to a mere 33 games and endured numerous health-related ailments, including two flare-ups of an always-tricky hamstring strain, many found it hard to believe that he would ever be back to 100 percent strength this season.
Sunday's quarterfinals opener against the Phoenix Suns should have put any and all fears to rest regarding the likes of J-Dub.
Right out of the gate, the 25-year-old was playing with a pre-wrist-injury level of aggression and efficiency, collapsing defenses by making his way into the lane with ease, having them pay when given any breathing room from beyond the arc, and getting his teammates involved for clean scoring opportunities.
He would finish their 119-84 rout of the Suns with an astounding, stat-sheet-stuffing line of 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists, a block, and a steal while shooting 60.0 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from deep.
From his swift ball-handling and stellar displays of two-way athleticism, it goes without saying that Williams has quelled any fears of being sub-full strength as Oklahoma City opens up this first-round with a 1-0 series advantage.
Healthy Jalen Williams is the ultimate X-factor for Thunder repeat
At this point, it should be well understood that a healthy Jalen Williams is the biggest X-factor for the Thunder as they push to become the first repeat champion since the 2018 Warriors.
Let's not forget that last season, while dealing with a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist that literally forced him to adopt a new shooting form to navigate around the pain, Dub was still able to play a major role in bringing home OKC's first NBA Championship, dropping a 40-burger in a pivotal Game 5 win over Indiana in the Finals and averaging 23.6 points per game throughout the title round.
Adding a completely recovered, proven All-NBA and All-Defensive wing who, just last month, revealed that his surgically repaired wrist has never felt better, is something that should only make their odds of going back-to-back even stronger.
Though it may have only been Game 1 of a best-of-seven first-round series, Williams finishing with a ridiculous plus-22 while guiding the Thunder to become just the second team ever to register back-to-back 30-plus point wins in playoff openers (joining the 1986-87 Lakers) is certainly a great way to start these 2026 NBA Playoffs.
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