After a Grade 1 hamstring strain kept him out of the Lakers series, Jalen Williams says OKC’s dominant playoff run gave him the luxury to take his time and avoid rushing back.
Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Jalen Williams, who had missed the previous six games because of a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, confirmed that he is healthy heading into the Western Conference Finals.
Progress Report
Following Friday’s practice, head coach Mark Daigneault described Williams as “progressing” but refrained from elaborating on his status. Williams himself was in attendance at the workout in his full game gear.
“It’s good that I haven’t had to rush back from my hamstring stuff at all,” Williams said on a video on his Youtube channel. “I’m actually taking like extra days now than from what was originally planned because we were up 3-0 [over the Lakers], so there was no point in going into this series and possibly hurting myself before we play the Timberwolves or the Spurs.
“I’m about to go into another series healthy.”
The Thunder have no obligation to report on Williams’ condition until the day before the beginning of the series.
Williams’ Injuries
Williams was named to the Third Team All-NBA squad during last year’s season. Despite being sidelined by a right wrist fracture, which eventually needed surgical intervention, Williams was a crucial component in helping Oklahoma City reach the playoffs.
His injury prevented him from playing in 33 regular-season games.
In addition, he was out of action during the first 19 games of the year, as he was recovering from wrist surgery. Later, he experienced two extended hiatuses because of the right hamstring strain, which he aggravated by prematurely returning after the All-Star break.
In the playoffs, Williams started off strong before injuring his left hamstring during the third quarter of Game 2 against the Phoenix Suns. During the opening game, he registered 22 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, whereas in Game 2, he scored 19 points and dished out four assists before leaving the game early.
In the second round, where they swept the Lakers, Ajay Mitchell filled in Williams’ starting slot with a sensational performance, averaging 22.5 points and 6.0 assists in the four games.
Unbothered Williams
“I’m never worried about the team,” Williams told ESPN after the Game 3 win in Los Angeles. “My worry always comes from making sure that I’m able to get myself to a point where I can help the team when I’m sitting out for that long. But we have a good team so it’s like no real rush to get back, if that makes sense. I don’t have to push certain buttons or do what I did last year [with his wrist] to get my hamstrings right.
“So that’s the nice part about it. But I want to play.”
