The Lakers aren’t the only team that has been without a star player during the NBA playoffs because of a hamstring injury.
The Thunder, whom the Lakers will play in the second round of the playoffs, were without star forward Jalen Williams for the final two games of their first-round series.
Thunder star forward Jalen Williams (center) should return sometime during the series against the Lakers. Getty Images Williams suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain during Game 2 of the series against the Suns on April 22. His status for Tuesday’s Game 1 against the Lakers is uncertain.
The Thunder said April 23 that Williams would be reevaluated weekly.
Grade 1 hamstring strains typically heal in one to two weeks.
InStreetClothes, an NBA injury database run by certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts, said the average time lost for the type of injury Williams suffered is about 12.4 days.
Those timelines could put Williams back in the lineup for Game 1, which is 13 days after he suffered his injury.
Game 2, scheduled for Thursday in Oklahoma City, is 15 days after he suffered the injury.
When asked about Williams on Saturday, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said: “He’s chipping away at his rehab. He’s doing a good job.”
Williams averaged more than 17 points and five assists during an injury-riddled regular season. NBAE via Getty Images Realistically, Williams should be back in the lineup when the series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 (Saturday) and Game 4 (May 11).
And when he returns, the Thunder will get a significant difference-maker back in the lineup.
Williams averaged 17.1 points, 5.5 assists and 4.6 rebounds during an injury-riddled season, playing in 33 regular-season games.
He was sidelined for the Thunder’s first 19 games, during which they went 18-1, because of offseason surgery on his right wrist.
Williams was sidelined for 10 games between January and February because of a right hamstring strain, playing in two games, before aggravating the hamstring and missing another five weeks.
