Photo: Oklahoma City Thunder/X

After winning their first championship, the Oklahoma City Thunder is back on the hardcourt as they face the Houston Rockets in a season opener tonight.

Jalen Williams has been ruled out for their debut regular season to give time for his recovery from wrist surgery during the summer, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

The 24-year-old swingman contributed significantly to their championship run, being one of the main scorer option aside from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the Thunder.

Many expectations for him this season since he stepped up from being a star role last season, where he earned his first all-star appearance along with All-NBA third team honors and a spot on the all-defensive second team.

Williams averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 boards, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals, one of the team’s leaders, to lead Oklahoma to the first seed and first title last season.

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