The Thunder are facing two major injury losses just days into the season.
Jalen Williams has a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula, while Cason Wallace has a torn labrum in his left shoulder, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Both will undergo surgery and are expected to miss several months, potentially most or all of the season.
The report follows the frightening scene in which Williams left a Thunder victory on a stretcher. Now Oklahoma City must prepare for an extended stretch without both a central piece of its offense and one of its most valuable perimeter defenders.
Williams gives the Thunder another scorer and playmaker alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, helping them attack defenses without asking their lead guard to create everything. Wallace’s absence takes away another option for defending opposing guards and applying pressure on the perimeter.
Losing either would force significant changes to the rotation. Losing both puts much more responsibility on the players available around Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren.
Oklahoma City has built considerable depth, but replacing what Williams and Wallace provide will be a substantial test of it. The Thunder are now looking at months of adjustments, with the possibility that neither returns this season.
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
