Thunder’s Mark Daigneault provides Jalen Williams injury update ahead of Lakers series

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault provided an injury update on Jalen Williams ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Daigneault and the Thunder will look to build off their first-round sweep against the Phoenix Suns. Williams, nursing a Grade-1 left hamstring strain, has been sidelined since Game 2 of Oklahoma City’s first-round series against the Suns.

However, he still makes his presence felt, as Daigneault revealed that Williams is making the most of his recovery by sticking close to his teammates.

“I think his personality — such a dynamic personality — it can overshadow the fact that he’s a ruthless competitor,” Daigneault said. “He’s a great competitor. There’s never a game that he’s not competing. He plays with a motor every single night. He is a 7 o’clock player. When it’s 7, he’s ready to go. When he’s out, it hurts. I think that’s probably hard for him to turn off.

“And it helps the team. It helps the team stay present. It helps the team stay competitive. He’s a huge personality on the team. So, his presence around us is vitally important.”

Nearly two weeks removed from when he sustained his left hamstring injury, Williams’ status for Game 1 remains unknown.

Mark Daigneault on Luka Doncic’s potential return

Entering a best-of-7 series without Jalen Williams, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault understands the Lakers’ frustration. Daigneault addressed All-Star Luka Doncic’s looming return for the Lakers, which could be as soon as next week.

Either way, Daigneault is preparing for the Lakers with or without Doncic, he said, per Thunder Wire’s Clemente Almanza.

“It’d be best for everybody if everybody was available all the time. That’d be the best product for the fans, best for me, best for the teams, best for the players. It’s obviously not realistic,” Daigneault said. “We go into every series preparing for every possibility. And we’ll go into this series prepared. Obviously, he would change a lot for them if he plays, but we’ll be prepared for every situation, including him playing or not playing.”

The Thunder will host the Lakers in Game 1 on Tuesday.

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