Jalen Williams injury update: OKC Thunder star 'doing a great job' with wrist recovery

The reigning champion OKC Thunder is looking like the favorite to win it all again this season.

OKC is 17-1 entering its NBA Cup group play game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. And it has dominated to start the season despite being without Jalen Williams.

The All-NBA third team and All-Defensive second team forward has yet to suit up due to a lingering right shooting wrist injury. He underwent surgery on July 1 to repair a torn ligament and then had a follow-up procedure on Oct. 31 to remove a screw that was creating irritation during the final stages of his return to play process.

Williams was set to be re-evaluated in 10 to 14 days after his follow-up procedure, which would have been around Nov. 10-14. But an updated timeline has not yet been provided as of Nov. 26. Head coach Mark Daigneault was asked Wednesday how Williams is handling the extended recovery process.

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"Day-to-day, and he's doing a great job," Daigneault said. "There's so much invisible work that goes into a return to play that you guys don't get the opportunity to see and we don't even get the opportunity to see."

Daigneault caught a glimpse of that process when he arrived at OKC's practice facility at around 8:15 a.m. Wednesday for a staff meeting.

Williams was already in the building, getting his physical therapy work in. And he was on the court by 8:30.

"That's the work you have to put in day after day without the immediate carrot of playing when you're going through a rehab," Daigneault said. "But that's why having guys with the maturity that we have is so important. (Thomas) Sorber has done a great job with that. (Nikola) Topić has done a great job with that. Chet (Holmgren) has done it a couple of different times. (Williams) is doing it just the way we want him to do it."

When Williams does return, he'll be yet another weapon for the most lethal team in basketball.

OKC boasts a league-leading average point differential of 16.9 points. It also ranks first in defensive rating (102.8) and fourth in offensive rating (119.6).

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Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder offers Jalen Williams injury update in wrist recovery