Oklahoma City Thunder starting guard Jalen Williams has undergone surgery to repair a fractured orbital bone he suffered during the opening night game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In the second quarter of the Thunder’s 115-108 road loss, the rookie was elbowed in the face while trying to block a layup attempt by Jaden McDaniel. Williams assisted them in a court of medical colleagues.
A few NBA betting sites are giving the Thunder fourth-lowest odds to win the championship in 2023. But some sportsbooks aren’t ruling out a playoff run this season.
Thunder guard Jalen Williams underwent surgery on Oct. 19 in Minnesota to address a fractured right orbital bone. Williams will be reevaluated in approximately 7-10 days.
– Mark J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) October 21, 2022
Santa Clara University product not returned. In six minutes of the game, the guard finished the NBA game with 5 points and 1 assist. He shot 2-2 (100%) from the floor and made a basket from 3-point range.
Williams was selected 12th overall by the Thunder in this year’s draft. His orbital fracture will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days. For the next few months, Williams will wear a face mask after being cleared to play.
Thunder starting guard Jalen Williams undergoes surgery to repair fractured orbit
Williams is listed indefinitely, according to Oklahoma City’s injury report. The guard could return on Tuesday, November 1, when the Thunder play the Orlando Magic.
In the meantime, Williams will miss road games against the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks. Additionally, he will miss upcoming games against the Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers.
Of course, during the preseason, the Thunder guard averaged 14.4 points, 3 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.8 steals in five games. He led the rookie class as an assistant.
In 84 career games in the NCAA, the Arizona native averaged 12.6 points, 3.7 boards, 2.9 assists and 1.2 rebounds per game with Santa Clara.
In 33 games as a junior during the 2021-22 season, Williams averaged 18 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He shot 51.3% from the field and 39.6% from downtown while leading the WCC in points (594).
Last season, he finished seventh in assists (137), seventh in steals (39), 14th in blocks (18), and fifth in field goals (219).
The guard was then named to the All-WCC first team.
When he is able to return to the court, Jalen Williams will help solidify the Thunder’s backcourt. As evidenced by his NCAA stats, the guard is more than capable of playing at a high level when healthy.
