Chandler Parsons gets 100% real on Thunder’s Finals outlook amid Jalen Williams’ injury

Chandler Parsons had a bold take to share about the Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship hopes after Jalen Williams suffered his latest injury.

Williams picked up a hamstring injury as it sidelined him in the Thunder’s last matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 19. It will keep him out for the next two weeks, having his team return to a situation they had earlier this season.

This resulted in Parsons providing his stance on Oklahoma City’s title chances on FanDuel’s Run It Back podcast. He was confident that they won’t panic or lose momentum due to the tremendous depth they have on the roster.

“You don’t panic just because of that depth, because of that balanced bench that they have, where you can plug and play the Aaron Wiggins, the Isaiah Joes, the Carusos, they can collectively kind of make up for the production. You can’t just replace Jalen Williams. He is their second-best player. He is their All-Star, their all-world two-way guy, and they are a much better team with them, although that record says otherwise,” Parsons said.

“You just don’t want this to become a trend, your young budding star. You don’t want this to start becoming a thing, and you want him healthy, you want him in the lineup. But yes, they are set up so good, and they are so deep, they can win games without him. They could possibly win the championship without him, but they’re by no means a better team without them.”

“[The Thunder] could possibly win the championship without [Jalen Williams], but they are by no means a better team without him.”

Chandler Parsons believes OKC can win it all without JDub

They are 19-1 without him this season.

(via @RunItBackFDTV)pic.twitter.com/VRZpLIWDIF

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 20, 2026

What lies ahead for Thunder after Jalen Williams’ injury

The Thunder have excelled without Jalen Williams this season, going 19-1 in his absence. Despite this, their ceiling for defending their title is higher when he is active on the court alongside superstar teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Williams has taken part in 24 of the team’s 44 games so far this campaign. He is averaging 16.8 points, 5.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. He is shooting 47% from the field, including 30% from beyond the arc, and 83.3% from the free-throw line.

Oklahoma City boasts a 36-8 record on the season, controlling the best record in the league. In the Western Conference standings, they are 5.5 games above the San Antonio Spurs and 6.5 games above the Denver Nuggets.

The Thunder will continue preparations for their upcoming matchup, being on the road. They face the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 21 at 9:30 p.m. ET.

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