Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace both face surgery and could miss the whole season for the Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams will need surgery for a dislocated ankle and a fractured fibula after the serious injury he suffered on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Clippers in Oklahoma City, the team has confirmed.
Williams was injured in the fourth quarter as he rose near the hoop with Clippers defenders around him to attempt a shot. He landed awkwardly on his left foot and ankle, which ended up underneath him and was not in the correct position.
Williams put his head in his hands in disbelief after the fall. Trainers quickly formed a circle around him, and he was placed on a stretcher and wheeled off the court as Thunder supporters chanted his name and he gave the crowd a thumbs-up.
Another Thunder starter was hurt in the same game. Guard Cason Wallace suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter, before the Williams injury happened.
On Monday, Thunder general manager Sam Presti announced that Wallace will also need surgery, to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, in addition to confirming the Williams diagnosis.
The Thunder now have to plan for the rest of the season without both starters, and reporting on the injuries says Williams and Wallace could both be out for potentially the whole NBA season.
Injury trouble is not new for Williams. Last season he missed 49 regular-season games and much of the postseason after a right wrist injury that required surgery and nagging hamstring problems in both legs, and the team had hoped he would get back to his All-Star form this year.
Wallace had stepped into the starting lineup this season after signing a five-year extension worth $139 million before the year began, and the injury comes after just a few games of the new season.
Oklahoma City will have to lean on its depth, described in the reporting as one of the best benches in the NBA. Jared McCain and Alex Caruso, who usually play key roles in reserve, are likely to be thrust into the starting five.
