OKLAHOMA CITY — If there is one player that can benefit the most from a disappointing early end to their season, its Oklahoma City star forward Jalen Williams.

Williams, the Thunder’s All-NBA forward, enters an offseason that has been much-needed since OKC’s playoff run last season. The Thunder, which ended its season Saturday in a Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, played much of this season without Williams and a loss in the playoffs proved OKC needs Williams in order to repeat the success it had last season.

kAm(:==:2>D >:DD65 v2>6 f’D “`\`_b =@DD 5F6 E@ 2 C64FCC:?8 =67E 92>DEC:?8 :DDF6] w6 EC:65 E@ 8:G6 :E 2 8@ 😕 v2>6 e[ A=2J:?8 ;FDE `_ >:?FE6D @77 E96 36?49[ 3FE F=E:>2E6=J 4@F=5?’E 5@ >F49 H:E9 9:D ?288:?8 :?;FCJ E92E <6AE 9:> D:56=:?65 7@C 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 D64@?5 92=7 @7 E96 D62D@?]k^Am

kAm(:==:2>D >:DD65 7@FC 6?E:C6 82>6D 😕 E96 9:DE@C:4 D6C:6D 282:?DE E96 $AFCD H9:=6 2=D@ >:DD:?8 E96 D64@?5 92=7 @7 v2>6 a 2?5 6DD6?E:2==J ?@E A=2J:?8 😕 v2>6 e]k^Am

kAm(:==:2>D 32D:42==J >:DD65 2== 3FE @?6 82>6 😕 E96 D6G6?\82>6 D282[ 2?5 v2>6 ` — E96 @?=J 82>6 96 A=2J65 7F==J — H2D 9:D C6EFC? 7C@> 2 92>DEC:?8 :?;FCJ 96 DF776C65 😕 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 @7 E96 A=2J@77D 282:?DE E96 !9@6?:I $F?D]k^Am

kAm~zr 4@?5F4E65 :ED 6I:E :?E6CG:6HD H:E9 E96 >65:2 $F?52J 2?5 (:==:2>D D2:5 96 76=E :7 96 H6C6 2E 7F==\DEC6?8E9[ 96 4@F=5’G6 96=A65 492?86 E96 @FE4@>6 @7 E96 (6DE6C? r@?76C6?46 u:?2=D]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< x 4@F=5 92G6 >256 2? :>A24E] x E9:?< H6 4@F=5 92G6 H@? :7 x A=2J65[” (:==:2>D D2:5] “(6?E E@ D6G6? H:E9 E96> H:E9@FE >6 A=2J:?8] x 5@?’E E9:?< x >2<6 FD H@CD6… (92E 5@ J@F H2?E E96> E@ 5@ 23@FE >6 36:?8 9FCEn %96J DE:== 92G6 E@ 8@ @FE E96C6 2?5 ECJ 2?5 362E FD] %92E’D H92E :E 😀 2?5 E96J 5:5 E92E]k^Am

kAm“qFE E96J’C6 2 8@@5 E62>] xE H@F=5 92G6 366? 2 492==6?86 :7 x A=2J65 @C ?@E[ 3FE x 567:?:E6=J E9:?< x 4@F=5 92G6 492?865 E96 D6C:6D] qFE H6’== ;FDE 92G6 E@ H2:E F?E:= H6 >66E 282:? 2E D@>6 A@:?E]”k^Am

kAmxE’D 366? 2 =@?8[ =@?8 D62D@? 7@C (:==:2>D]k^Am

kAm(:==:2>D 6?565 =2DE D62D@?’D 492>A:@?D9:A D62D@? H:E9 DFC86CJ @? 9:D D9@@E:?8 HC:DE[ ?665:?8 E@ 7:I 2 =:82>6?E 52>2865 😕 9:D D9@@E:?8 92?5]k^Am

kAm%92E 9:?56C65 9:D 23:=:EJ E@ D9@@E E96 32D<6E32== E96 6?E:C6 @77D62D@? 2?5 E92E 9:?5C2?46 2=D@ =62<65 :?E@ E96 DE2CE @7 E96 C68F=2C D62D@?[ >:DD:?8 E96 7:CDE `h 82>6D @7 E96 a_ad\ae D62D@?]k^Am

kAmw6 >256 9:D D62D@? 563FE }@G] ag 282:?DE E96 !9@6?:I $F?D 2?5 A=2J65 E9C@F89 s646>36C 2?5 y2?F2CJ[ C6EFC?:?8 E@ 9:D p==\$E2C 7@C> 7C@> 2 D62D@? 28@]k^Am

kAm%96?[ 😕 2 y2?] `f =@DD 2E E96 |:2>: w62E[ (:==:2>D 6I:E65 E96 82>6 H:E9 2 D@C6 C:89E E9:89 E92E EFC?65 :?E@ 9:> >:DD:?8 2 >@?E9 @7 82>6D]k^Am

kAmw6 C6EFC?65 7@C EH@ 82>6D 😕 u63CF2CJ 367@C6 288C2G2E:?8 9:D C:89E 92>DEC:?8 :?;FCJ E92E 7@C465 9:> E@ >:DD 2?@E96C >@?E9 @7 24E:@?]k^Am

kAm(:==:2>D C6EFC?65 😕 E96 =2E6 DE286D @7 |2C49 E@ 96=A ~zr D64FC6 E96 E@A D665 😕 E96 (6DE6C? r@?76C6?46] w6 A=2J65 ?:?6 4@?D64FE:G6 82>6D[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 7:CDE EH@ 82>6D @7 E96 }qp !=2J@77D 282:?DE E96 !9@6?:I $F?D 367@C6 DEC2:?:?8 9:D =67E 92>DEC:?8 pAC:= aa]k^Am

kAmw6 >:DD65 E96 7:?2= EH@ 82>6D @7 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 2?5 >:DD65 E96 6?E:C6EJ @7 E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 D6C:6D 282:?DE E96 {@D p?86=6D {2<6CD]k^Am

kAmw6 C6EFC?65 7@C v2>6 ` @7 E96 (6DE6C? r@?76C6?46 u:?2=D 282:?DE E96 $AFCD[ 3FE E92E H2D 9:D =@?6 7F== 82>6 96 A=2J65] w6 7=2C65 9:D =67E 92>DEC:?8 DEC2:? 😕 v2>6 a 2?5 82G6 :E 2 8@ 😕 v2>6 e[ 3FE F=E:>2E6=J H2D 2 ?@?724E@C 😕 E96 D6C:6D 27E6C v2>6 `]k^Am

kAm(:==:2>D F=E:>2E6=J A=2J65 ;FDE bg 82>6D E9:D D62D@? 2?5 ?6G6C 8@E >@C6 E92? 2 >@?E9 @7 4@?D64FE:G6 A=2J:?8 E:>6 H:E9@FE 2? :?;FCJ]k^Am

kAms6DA:E6 9:D 23D6?46 7@C 2 =@E @7 E96 D62D@?[ ~zr DE:== 7@F?5 DF446DD] %9@F89[ 9:> >:DD:?8 E96 (ru 😀 2 <6J C62D@? H9J E96 $AFCD H:== 36 A=2J:?8 😕 %96 u:?2=D @G6C E96 %9F?56C E9:D H66<]k^Am

kAm“}@E 92G:?8 sF3 7@C E96 H9@=6 J62C DF4<65[” D2:5 ~zr DE2C $92: v:=86@FD\p=6I2?56C] “w6’D ;FDE DF49 2 F?:4@C? @FE E96C6] w6’D 2 a_\A@:?E A6C 82>6 D4@C6C[ 8F2C5D ` E9C@F89 d] {2DE D62D@? 96 8@E 2== }qp 7@C @776?D6[ 2== }qp 7@C 5676?D6[ 2?5 H2D 2? p==\$E2C 2E >2J36 ac J62CD @=5] $@ =@D:?8 2 8FJ =:<6 E92E ;FDE 9FCED] w6’D ;FDE F36C E2=6?E65] w2G:?8 E92E @? E96 4@FCE ac^f 😀 ;FDE 2 =FIFCJ[ 2?5 H6 ;FDE 5:5?’E 92G6 E92E =FIFCJ E9:D J62C] $@>6E:>6D :E ;FDE 8@6D =:<6 E92E]”k^Am

kAm(:==:2>D @3G:@FD=J 925 2 5:77:4F=E D62D@?[ 3@E9 >6?E2==J 2?5 A9JD:42==J]k^Am

kAmuC@> E96 C64@G6CJ @7 HC:DE DFC86CJ E@ 4@?DE2?E 92>DEC:?8 :?;FC:6D 😕 3@E9 =68D[ (:==:2>D D2:5 @FED:56 5:DEC24E:@?D — 6DA64:2==J >@G:6D — 96=A65 9:> 86E E9C@F89 2 >6?E2==J\5C2:?:?8 D62D@?]k^Am

kAm“%9:D J62C H2D 3:8] x 8@E :?E@ >@G:6D 2 =@E ;FDE 3642FD6 :E 96=AD >6 ?@E E9:?< 23@FE 32D<6E32==[” (:==:2>D D2:5] “s@:?8 C68F=2C E9:?8D >2<6D >6 766= ?@C>2= 2?5 5@6D?’E >2<6 >6 766= =:<6 E96 H6:89E @7 ?@E A=2J:?8 H2D @? >J 324<] q642FD6 H96? J@F’C6 ?@E 5@:?8 E9@D6 E9:?8D[ :E’D =:<6 FDF2==J A=2J:?8 32D<6E32== 2?5 DEF77[ D@ ECJ:?8 E@ 7:== E96 G@:5 H:E9 E92E E:>6] x E9@F89E x 5:5 2 AC6EEJ 8@@5 ;@3 @7 :E]k^Am

kAm“x C62=:K65 x H2D 2 =@E >6?E2==J E@F896C E92? x H2D[ 2?5 x 2=C625J E9@F89E x H2D AC6EEJ E@F89]”k^Am

kAmw:D DF>>6C C@FE:?6 😀 J6E E@ 36 56E6C>:?65 2D E9:D 😀 9:D 7:CDE D@>6H92E 962=E9J @77D62D@? 😕 EH@ J62CD H:E9 2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6 E:>6 @? 9:D 92?5D[ 4@>A2C65 E@ =2DE D62D@? H96? E96 %9F?56C H@? E96 492>A:@?D9:A yF?6 aa]k^Am

kAmw6’D 9@A67F= E@ 7:8FC6 @FE H9J 9:D 92>DEC:?8D 4@?E:?F65 E@ 7=2C6 FA 2?5 7:?2==J 86E D@>6 E:>6 E@ C6DE]k^Am

kAm“x 5@?’E @H 9@H >J DF>>6C 😀 8@:?8 E@ A=2J @FE[” (:==:2>D D2:5] “x H@?’E 92G6 925 E9:D =@?8 @7 2 DF>>6C 😕 2 8@@5 >:?FE6] xE’D ;FDE 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 C6DE E9:?8] {:<6 x’G6 366? D2J:?8[ x ;FDE 92G6?’E 925 E:>6 E@ C62==J A=2J[ 2?5 E@ 5:G6 566A6C :?E@ >J 92>DEC:?8[ D@>6 @7 :E H2D >J 3@5J 76=E D@ 8@@5 3642FD6 x 925?’E 366? CF??:?8 2C@F?5] x 925?’E 366? A=2J:?8] x H2D =:89E6C] x ;FDE 5@?’E E9:?< >J 3@5J 4@F=5 <66A FA H:E9 9@H x H2D >@G:?8]k^Am

kAm“$@ :E’D ;FDE 8@:?8 E@ 36 >@C6 @7 =:<6 DEC6?8E96?:?8 D@>6 @7 E96 DEF77 E92E x 7@F?5 @FE]”k^Am