Tuesday update: There’s no official timetable for Williams as of now, who has been ruled out ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Nuggets. It’s hard to know exactly how serious the injury is since the Thunder haven’t provided any updates but it appears Williams will be sidelined for at least a week or two since he was ruled out so quickly.
Postgame update: There’s no official update on Williams, who appeared to turn his ankle late in the game Monday. The Thunder will likely know more Tuesday.
Mark Daigneault said no update on Jalen Williams or Isaiah Joe right now
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) January 30, 2024
The Oklahoma City Thunder might’ve suffered a much bigger loss than 107-101 defeat on the court to the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday evening, seeing rising forward Jalen Williams hop off to the locker room late in the contest.
Thunder star forward Jalen Williams hobbled to the locker room in the final minute of Oklahoma City’s loss to Minnesota. He wasn’t putting any pressure on his right foot.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) January 30, 2024
Hopefully this is nothing serious for Williams, who has blossomed into a high-level starter for a Thunder team thinking big this season. The forward entered Monday’s game averaging 18.6 points, 4.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 54% from the floor and 44% from deep. He’s arguably the second-best offensive player on this team behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
If Williams is sidelined for more than just a game or two, look for Lu Dort to step up offensively. Dort already gets big minutes as a starter, but he’d become Oklahoma City’s top perimeter option with Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey seeing more on-ball usage. Chet Holmgren could also see more shots with Williams out, although Dort and Giddey probably benefit more.