For the first time in their four years together, the Oklahoma City Thunder will have to deal with a major absence in their postseason run. Jalen Williams will miss at least one week with a hamstring strain he suffered in their Game 2 win over the Phoenix Suns. He's week-to-week with the injury.
Just brutal. It's Williams' third hamstring strain in four months. If you're looking for a glass-half-full approach, it's at least on his left leg. The first two — which limited him to 33 regular-season games — were on his right leg. We'll see how much time he misses, but easy to say they need the All-NBA talent back ASAP.
Just some downright bad luck. Williams had been OKC's best playoff player through the first six quarters of their hopeful back-to-back run. Now, the Thunder return to familiar territory — being without arguably their second-best player.
Let's look at five Thunder players who could step up in Williams' absence. Being sidelined, there will be a vacuum of possessions up for grabs:
This is a cheat code, but Gilgeous-Alexander could add even more to his plate. The Thunder will go as far as he carries them. Juggling injuries all year, he's the one constant that has helped them sit atop the NBA standings. Now, their championship hopes could depend on how much responsibility he can take on.
After Williams went down, Gilgeous-Alexander turned into Superman to ensure the Thunder would get a 2-0 series lead over the Suns. He had 37 points on 13-of-25 shooting and nine assists. I think OKC will need those types of high-usage outings more often. It goes against his nature, but he may need to be more selfish with the ball. That means putting up 20-plus shot attempts on an every-game basis. Let's see if he can physically handle that for two months.
Speaking of stepping out of your comfort zone, Holmgren has more responsibilities. The good news is, he should be used to this role by now. Now that Williams is out, he'll be OKC's clear-cut second-best player. His absence helped him skyrocket into being a first-time All-Star and probable first-time All-NBA guy. He finished runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year.
In Holmgren's case, stepping up likely means anchoring OKC's defense even more. He's never really shown the ability to scale up as a scorer, but he makes up for it in other areas of the game. The Thunder relied on their league-best defense to bring home one Larry O'Brien trophy. It'll need another historic run on that side of the ball to compensate for being without a 20-point scorer.
Among OKC's entire roster, Mitchell is the most one-for-one replacement for Williams. Not to say he'll have the same impact — that's asking for way too much. The 23-year-old is going through his first real NBA playoff run after being out of the rotation last year. But this past regular season showed he can easily scale up as a scorer. Now, we'll wait to see if he can do the same at a higher level.
Mitchell has blossomed into OKC's Sixth Man. Levels behind Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams, he's their third-best go-to scorer. He can bump his way through traffic. His pull-up jumper has been a weapon. And his defense is arguably as valuable as what he brings on offense. He has a golden opportunity to become a household name. Expect him to get most of Williams' shot attempts.
Scanning the roster, Wallace is the easiest prediction to replace Williams in the starting lineup. Because of all their injuries, he's become a prominent starter. He started in 58 of his 77 games in the regular season. Now, the Thunder will rely on their most-used starting lineup.
The Thunder had Wallace in place of Williams in 15 games. It was their most-used starting combination. Among the 167 minutes played together, they had an impressive 18.6 net rating. For comparison, Williams' substitution over Wallace sported a 24.5 net rating in 126 minutes. A drop-off, for sure, but still an insane number. That's why OKC should continue to be a title favorite. It's shown an ability to win in different styles of basketball.
Being outside of the playoff rotation through two games, McCain could get a temporary promotion. The Thunder will need to make up for Williams' scoring talent. Nobody on the roster will do it by themselves. It needs to be a group effort. And if you're looking for a microwave scorer, the 22-year-old could help out.
Don't put too much stock in McCain's playoff role. He'll likely get a handful of minutes. Specifically, the second-unit minutes with Isaiah Hartenstien. If he can go in and make a couple of outside jumpers, that'll go a long way in helping the Thunder keep winning in the NBA playoffs without Williams. At this juncture, every possession matters tenfold compared to the mundaneness of the regular season.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: 5 Thunder players who could step up in Jalen Williams' absence in NBA playoffs