The wait in Oklahoma City is over. Jalen Williams is finally ready to put the Thunder jersey back on: the All-NBA guard has been removed from the injury report and will make his season debut Friday night against the Phoenix Suns. The news comes after months of work, patience and a couple of mandatory stops in the operating room.

Williams didn’t exactly enjoy a relaxing offseason: first surgery on his right wrist, then another operation in late October to remove a screw. And to think he finished the playoffs – during a full-on title chase – playing with a torn ligament.

Despite all that, his impact last season was pure superstar level: over 21 points per game, contributions everywhere on the floor, and a league-wide reputation as the official “bodyguard” assigned to stop the NBA’s best scorers.

As an internal source explained:

His versatility changed the way we defend.

Thunder staff

The numbers back it up: defensively, his impact bordered on embarrassing for opponents. Williams graded out as the most effective perimeter defender in the league in one-on-one situations and one of the very best at shutting down drives.

And it doesn’t stop there: he belongs to an ultra-exclusive club – one of only four players to finish the season with at least 1,400 points, 300 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 steals. The other three? Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and James Harden. Stats that already tell you exactly what kind of player he has become.

His return comes as the Thunder are moving at historic speed: 18-1 through 19 games with the best point differential in NBA history (+16.5 per game). A start like that allowed the medical staff to avoid rushing him back.

The only downside concerns individual awards: by missing the first 19 games, Williams will not be eligible for end-of-season honors and will lose the chance to trigger the $287 million supermax tied to his extension. A detail that, however, feels secondary within a team fully committed to staying atop the Western Conference.