Thunder forward Jalen Williams went down with a graphic left leg injury in Sunday’s game against the Clippers, and early video analysis points to a fracture of the tibia and fibula. Williams was fouled on a layup attempt and landed with his left ankle underneath him. Oklahoma City won the game 108-101, but the result was overshadowed by the injury.
ProFootballDoc, described the injury as a left tibia and fibula fracture with obvious angulation and deformity. His read is that Williams would need surgery and his season would be over just as it starts, though he added that a full recovery is likely, just not this year.
The injury continues a punishing stretch for Williams. He missed the first 19 games of last season recovering from surgery on a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist, then missed 30 more with a right hamstring injury beginning in January, and limited to 33 regular-season games. In the playoffs, he missed six games with a strained left hamstring, returned for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs, and was ruled out of the second half of Game 2 with more hamstring tightness. He missed 55 of the Thunder’s first 91 games last season, including the playoffs, but none of those issues involved a bone injury of this kind.
Oklahoma City is 3-0, and the Thunder host the Suns on Monday night. Expect Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace to see larger roles in Williams’ absence. Despite that early team success, this is a big blow to the team's title hopes for the long run this season.
