For almost the entire season, opposing teams have struggled to keep up with the Oklahoma City Thunder on either end of the court. Even with the injuries they've suffered, their swarming defense and highly efficient, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-dependent offense is difficult for any team to contend with on a night-to-night basis.
With around a month left to go in the season, the Thunder currently possess a 53-15 record and have three games in hand on the San Antonio Spurs for the one seed in the West.
But for much of this campaign, opposing teams have not had to contend with the 1-2 punch that made them so formidable in their last championship run. Jalen Williams has played just 26 games this season dealing with various injuries.
Of course this is less than ideal. But NBA Analyst Tim Bontemps, speaking on the latest episode of Brian Windhorst and the Hoop Collective, conjectured that Williams' absence and ramp-up period at this point in the season could give him fresh legs for the playoffs.
That should be a scary thought for the rest of the league.
Jalen Williams doesn't have a concrete timetable yet, but a late return might not be a bad thing
"It could end up being a positive for them if [Williams] comes in having had 35 or 40 games this season total played, you'd think he'd be pretty fresh and ready to go for a long playoff run."- Tim Bontemps
The superstar-caliber production of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander alone has been enough to keep Oklahoma City at the top during the regular season. Through 56 games, he's averaging 31.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.7 assists while shooting 54.9% from the field. With the advancements we've seen from players like Ajay Mitchell and Chet Holmgren, there's reason to be hopeful for their chances in the playoffs even without Williams at the top of his game.
But Williams' presence is absolutely necessary for what the Thunder want to be offensively. As a secondary, downhill scoring threat, his biggest contribution at times is to take even an ounce of heat off of Gilgeous-Alexander.
When teams hone in their defensive matchups and half-court offense becomes even more vital in the playoffs, Williams' energy and physicality will be more necessary than ever. Perhaps the rest he's taken this season, rather than trying to push through his injuries, can allow him to provide that consistently over the course of a lengthy playoff run.
Bontemps also draws an interesting comparison to the Indiana Pacers and their Finals run. The Pacers dealt with significant injuries over the course of the regular season, but they got healthy at just the right time to attack the playoffs with fresh energy.
If Williams can do the same, getting healthy with seven or so games left to ramp up before the end of the season, the league should be seriously afraid of what the Thunder can be this postseason.