Jalen Williams Shows Dominance Fully Healthy In Preseason Debut

The Oklahoma City Thunder have only played two preseason games and yet there are already a multitude of fun storylines into which OKC fans can sink their teeth.

Aday Mara breaking out and looking like another Sam Presti draft day steal. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing off ball and drilling catch and shoot 3 pointers. Bennett Stirtz flashing the deep range and shot creation that made him a near lottery pick. Jared McCain splashing treys from all over the court as he steps seamlessly into Isaiah Joe's old role.

But Wednesday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks showcased the most important Thunder storyline of them all heading into the 2026-2027 season.

Jalen Williams is fully healthy and back to his dominant play on both sides of the court.

Now, the information itself is not that newsworthy. Williams told members of the Oklahoma City press during Thunder Media Day that he had been back to 100% health since about the time that the NBA Finals ended.

"When did I get totally healthy? I don't remember, to be hones," Williams said. "Somewhere, sometime in the summer, pretty early on. When did we stop playing, like end of May? So maybe middle of June. A little earlier than that. I was going pretty much seamless by like the middle of June."

While it was encouraging for Thunder fans to hear that the All-NBA/All-Defense/All-Star was good to go, it's another thing entirely to see the do-it-all force multiplier back in action. It was only one half of one preseason game against one of the worst teams in the NBA, but Williams sent a reminder of his elite two way talent right out of the gate.

The pride of Santa Clara scored 16 points on 8 of 11 shooting, grabbed 3 rebounds, handed out 6 assists to only 1 turnover and came up with 2 steals. In only 19 minutes. 

More than the impressive numbers, it was the way Williams moved that stuck out the most. He played with his trademark speed, force and ferocity. He finished tough buckets through traffic. He got up above the rim. He was a menace on defense. Basically, he looked like Jalen Williams.

Preseason is always fun when there is new, young talent to watch for the first time and imagine future upside and impact. Mara and Stirtz are providing plenty of dynasty daydreams for Thunder fans as they continue to play exceptionally well. But the biggest needle mover for Oklahoma City's chances to return to the NBA Finals is getting a healthy Jalen Williams back into the rotation.

And judging from his 2026-2027 debut, Williams is ready to move the needle.