After Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti confirmed Cason Wallace will undergo surgery for a torn left shoulder labrum, he couldn't offer a timetable for his return from injury. Jalen Williams will undergo a season-ending surgery for a fractured fibula and dislocated left ankle, but is there hope for Wallace to make a return before the postseason?

Given how former Portland Blazers forward Nicolas Batum recovered from the same injury, it's possible for the Thunder to get Wallace back before the end of the regular season, according to certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts.

“Since 2005, I have one recorded case of an NBA player tearing their labrum in-season, undergoing surgery, & returning in the same regular season: Nicolas Batum in 2009. Oddly enough Batum's injury occurred on October 25, the same day that Cason Wallace sustained his injury.”

Batum returned from his shoulder injury in January 2010 for a game against the Washington Wizards. Nearly 17 years removed from his return, perhaps Cason Wallace could receive a similar timeline for his with the Thunder. Although it's unknown whether or not Wallace dislocated his left shoulder, the labrum tear is the same as Batum. He missed 45 games in 2009-10.
Presti revealed an optimistic approach to Wallace and Williams during his press conference on Monday.
“Timeline; we're going to have to get to that once we have the surgery. We're going through that process right now to determine next steps,” Presti said. “He's a total warrior and probably would have gone back in the game if we let him. Obviously, tough night, there's no way to paint that different. I'd like to say, and we saw within our walls all the time, there's a difference between being positive and being optimistic. Not going to sit up here and say this is exactly where we wanna be or this is how we like to have it.
“But at the same time, we're extremely optimistic about the recovery for both of the players. Most importantly, things could have been a lot worse. And I think in these types of situations, it's important to kind of take stock, take a step back, realize we're dealing with people, realizing we're dealing with the greatest athletes in the world. They're going to be back out there.”
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After beating the Phoenix Suns, the Thunder improved to 4-0 on the young regular season.