What Thunder Star Jalen Williams Brings in His Return

As we are staring down the barrel of the coming NBA regular season, the big narratives are around teams that made significant additions to their rosters. While the Oklahoma City Thunder did not add any significant pieces outside of a handful of rookies, they will still look like a very different team if Jalen Williams can be healthy. Here are three ways you will see Williams instantly impact the Thunder. 

First, Jalen Williams will make an already great Oklahoma City defense better. While the Thunder aren’t short on good defenders, Williams brings something to the team that no one else has to his degree: versatility. He has a unique ability to genuinely guard one through five at an extremely high level. While the Thunder’s roster is one of the most complete in the NBA, they still have a big hole when it comes to true wings. Williams is the Thunder’s answer to that. Even if it takes his offense time to reach its peak, his defense will be felt immediately. 

Second, Offense. Williams might take a little bit of time to shake off some offensive rust, especially when it comes to his shooting from deep, but if/when his offense returns to pre-injury form, you’re talking about OKC’s second-best offensive player reintegrating himself into a team that is loaded with more offensive talent than the last few seasons. 

Lastly, his energy. Jalen Williams has an intangible gift that so many people overlook. Momentum is a very real thing in sports, and that’s certainly true of basketball. While no player has a bigger impact on the Thunder than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he isn’t the guy who seems most in control of the team and fanbase’s energy once a game has tipped off. That honor belongs to Jalen Williams. He has a unique ability to inject energy into games like no one else on the Thunder. 

By and large, people seem to understand just what Williams will bring to this team in his return, but it’s helpful to remember that Jalen isn’t just a good scorer or an impressive defender. He, in many ways, is one of the most well-rounded players on a championship-contending team. The Thunder were a win away from returning to the NBA Finals last season, and now they have a chance to run it back with their “force multiplier” back on the court. 

He’ll be a big addition this season.