The Oklahoma City Thunder are already undefeated in these playoffs, with eight straight wins to cruise through the first two rounds. As they await their next opponent, progress on the injury front could further strengthen their position ahead of the Western Conference Finals.
In a chat with the media on Friday, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault gave the latest news on injured swingman Jalen Williams, who was seen participating in team practice. He’s been out since April 22nd with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, but Daigneault confirmed today that his situation is improving.
“He’s progressing,” said coach Daigneault. “Same stuff. I’m not going to give you the blow-by-blow on the details, but he continues to make progress and is doing a great job.”
Of course, Williams is still limited in his on-court activity, but he looked comfortable on the floor today, and it’s hard to shake the feeling that his return is imminent. While not as flashy as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or as tall as Chet Holmgren, Williams provides a major spark on the wing that makes the Thunder even harder to deal with. In 33 games during the regular season, he averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 48.4% shooting and 29.9% shooting from three.
Jalen Williams at practice today pic.twitter.com/9aVZtoDnip
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 15, 2026
According to Williams, he would have already made his comeback if the series had gone longer than four games. But once his team secured that commanding 3-0 lead over Los Angeles, there was no need for Jalen to rush back and risk re-aggravation.
“It’s good, I haven’t had to rush back from my hamstring stuff at all,” said Williams after Game 3. “I’m actually taking extra days now than what was even originally planned cause we’re up 3-0, so there’s no point going into this series and possibly hurting myself.”
So far, the Thunder have not set an official timetable for Jalen’s return, but he still has the rest of the weekend to get healthy. By the time the next series begins, he should be ready to go in full force, and it will add yet another two-way player to their star-studded roster. For a Thunder squad that’s already been so dominant, they don’t need Jalen to succeed, but his return will show us just how far above this Thunder team is the rest of the league.
For now, all Oklahoma City can do is wait. We will know their next opponent soon enough, and that’s when we can expect the real planning to begin. Until then, they will be working from the inside to maximize team chemistry, fix lingering mistakes, and clean up any vulnerabilities on the court. For his part, Jalen Williams will continue to follow the plan laid out by the medical staff, with the aim of being ready for Game 1 of the Western Finals.
Typically, a Grade 1 strain takes 1 to 2 weeks to recover; the timeline can vary depending on the location and the tissues involved. This Wednesday marked three weeks since Jalen’s initial injury, and Game 1 will be early in the month. If he’s not ready by then, it could be a sign that there’s something more serious going on with his health.
