Williams will play his first game back for Oklahoma City against Philadelphia after missing the last 16 contests with a right hamstring strain, setting up a return that Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said he expects to translate quickly onto the court. Daigneault pointed to Williams’ approach to his work during his recovery and said the team anticipates him being ready in terms of conditioning and fit.
Williams’ season has already included other time missed, including a hamstring setback that came after earlier recovery from wrist surgery. He missed the first 19 games while recovering from the wrist procedure before the hamstring injury changed the timeline again.
The hamstring injury occurred Jan. 17 against the Miami Heat. After recovering enough to return for a pair of games in February, Williams suffered a re-aggravation that kept him out for the remainder of his stretch on the sideline, including the 16 games immediately before Monday.
Daigneault, speaking ahead of the matchup, said he expects Williams to be in shape when he returns. “He does a great job with his work,” Daigneault said. “We expect him to be in shape. Rhythm obviously takes some time. It takes a little time, but it won’t take much. It’s not like this is brand-new for him.”
Williams has been the Thunder’s centerpiece when healthy. He helped Oklahoma City win the NBA title last season while playing through a wrist injury suffered late in the season, and this season he has appeared in 26 games while averaging 17.5 points.
Offensively, Williams has contributed from beyond the arc as well, averaging 31.3% from 3-point range this season. His return comes as Oklahoma City continues to operate at a high level despite injuries, with other players covering minutes during the stretch he missed.
The Thunder, listed at 56-15, will face Philadelphia on Monday night as the top team in the Western Conference. Oklahoma also enters the game on an 11-game winning streak, and Daigneault said the club has been “starting to get relatively whole.”
“Guys have done a great job all year, and we’re starting to get relatively whole,” Daigneault said. With Williams back in the lineup, Oklahoma City will look for him to rejoin a rotation that has already sustained its pace at the top of the standings.