On Saturday, the OKC Thunder are set to play their first postseason game without star forward Jalen Williams. He was diagnosed with a grade 1 hamstring strain sustained in Wednesday's Game 2.
Most ordinary teams would be devastated by the loss of a player as vital as Williams, and many would find the obstacle insurmountable.
Fortunately for the Thunder, they are no ordinary team.
On a recent episode of the Run It Back podcast, Chandler Parsons said what many have been thinking after watching the Thunder play through a barrage of injuries during the regular season.
"I still think OKC wins the championship with or without Jalen Williams," the former NBA forward said.
Jalen William's injuries have highlighted Thunder's insane depth
Parsons listed Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Alex Caruso, and Aaron Wiggins as viable alternatives for the Thunder to lean on in J-Dub's absence. He noted, "It's too much" for opposing teams to handle.
The former nine-year veteran has a point.
OKC went 39-10 without Williams on the floor this season, good for a .780 win percentage, which is on par with the club's win rate for the entire regular season.
The Thunder's unmatched depth is a horrifying reality for its present and future opponents, who may have hoped the injury to J-Dub would make them a more vulnerable target.
Each of the previously mentioned players has earned the right to be a serviceable replacement for the coming weeks.
Wallace has unlocked an offensive ceiling this season that fans weren't aware he had when he was drafted as a defensive specialist. In games where Williams and fellow superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were shelved, Wallace managed to register multiple 20-plus point outings while gaining valuable ball-handling experience along the way.
Isaiah Joe went from a rotational afterthought to a sharpshooting X-factor for the second unit midway through the regular season. His development on both sides of the ball has prepared him for an extended role in the games to come.
Fans already witnessed what "Playoff Caruso" is capable of during last year's run, when he did everything from defensively stymying Nikola Jokic to dropping several 20-plus point games.
While Wallace is the most likely to receive the nod to join the starting five, watching the distribution of minutes will be a storyline to keep an eye on. Even Jared McCain, who has been no more than an afterthought through games one and two against the Suns, could see an increased role on the perimeter.
OKC's embarrassment of riches will be on full display while Williams is out, and Parsons will likely find out just how right he is when the Thunder go toe to toe with the stiffer competition of the West, namely the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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