Making his return to the lineup after missing the last 10 games, can Jalen Williams make his comeback strong for OKC heading into the All-Star break? It may seem timely considering that the Thunder need some firepower and playmaking with a lot of injuries to its players.

This season has not just been kind to J-Dub. He’s been mostly injured–initially recovering from his wrist surgery, then later suffering a hamstring injury–and has missed a lot of games. He’s only logged a total of 24 games so far this season, and the Thunder haven’t really gone into a winning groove with him at the lineup.

In fact, he’s even averaging season lows. We’re seeing J-Dub average well below his All-Star numbers (explains why he’s not one this year), and he’s yet to have a promising stretch of games. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out with an injury as well, it does seem that the Thunder really need more from him now more than ever.

J-Dub has been one of the most important players for OKC so far. We all know how he sacrificed to play through the pain in the playoffs, which has rewarded the Thunder with its first league title. But right now, Oklahoma City needs the best form of Jalen Williams if they want to make it through the All-Star Weekend without suffering more losses than they have all year.

The Jalen Williams Dilemma

Nothing has been easy for Jalen Williams this season. He’s seen some tough struggles and a whole lot of poor games on his belt so far. It is one of the reasons why critics have been hard on him for quite some time. So far, he’s averaging 16.8 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.8 rebounds. That’s a far cry from the ever-efficient J-Dub, who’s dropping nearly 20 points in a single game and has the high energy that carries the Thunder.

That version of Jalen Williams has yet to emerge this season. It is one of the reasons why Oklahoma City is in dire need of a change in perspective. With a lot of untimely injuries on the squad, Williams’ return to the lineup comes as a promising sight for fans at this point.

We all know how he can easily make an impact on the floor. Williams’ energy and length allow the Thunder to cover gaps on defense that are usually exploited by their opponents. On offense, it does make a lot of sense that a slasher capable of pulling off a jumper is an additional asset on the attack.

Can Jalen Williams Hold Down the Fort?

OKC will be playing three more games before heading into the All-Star break. By reports, it does seem that SGA will be out at least until after the ASB. This means that Williams will be the main man on the Thunder (alongside Chet Holmgren) and will definitely be sprawling out with a lot of minutes to his name.

That, of course, is a dependent issue. We’re yet to see Ajay Mitchell come back into the lineup. Mitchell, who is a notable playmaker and frontrunner to the Sixth Man of the Year, should also be on the recovering side of the injury any time soon.

Right now, it is all about Jalen Williams keeping it together for the Thunder. They’re a championship team without Shai, and they’ve proven that multiple times before. However, when they have to battle against contenders this season, J-Dub is going to have his hands full in leading the way for OKC to come up with a win and a promising record while SGA heals up.