The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Chet Holmgren with the number two pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Labeled as a highly-rated defensive talent, Holmgren has arguably the most offensive versatility ever seen from a seven-foot player. Questions regarding his slim frame and durability seemed answered when he suffered a significant injury before his first NBA game. He expects to miss the entire season, but he is diligently working behind the scenes to rejoin his young teammates. Let’s look at the latest injury update on NBA rookie Chet Holmgren.
Chet Holmgren Background
Chet Holmgren is a very tall but gangly basketball player. At 7’1”, he is listed at 195 pounds. Five pounds heavier than his weight was in his only college season. The average weight of all NBA players is around 214 pounds. Two hundred forty-six pounds for the center position. Some would view his body type as a red flag due to the physical nature of the professional level. However, Holmgren is unique in that his body type unlocks a style of play on the offensive end that is hard to match.
His size allows him to run the floor faster than his defenders and be elusive around the rim. He shoots from range (39 percent from three at Gonzaga) and has excellent touch around the basket (60.7 percent field goal percentage). Many offensive possessions start with Holmgren using his long frame to block a shot (5.4 blocks a game) and contest without fouling. They end with him finishing a play above the rim or using the dribble to set up a shot or pass.
Holmgren was willing to get physical in the paint (9.9 rebounds a game). He embraces contact and shoots a respectable percentage from the free-throw line—a genuine, all-around game.
That style of play showed up at Gonzaga and in NBA summer league games. Most importantly, he did not miss any games due to injury. The only time he suffered a severe injury was a broken wrist in his first year of high school. Speaking of high school, Holmgren won four Minnesota state championships and several national awards, including Gatorade National Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-American. The only thing that kept him from being the first overall pick was a need for more mass for his size.
The Injury
During a summer Pro-Am game in Seattle, Chet Holmgren got hurt guarding superstar and future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James. It is not unusual to see players play pick-up games during the offseason to stay in shape and get extra work. The injury happened after the NBA Draft and after the slate of summer league games and practices sanctioned by the league.
Chet Holmgren Injury Update
The latest injury update on Chet Holmgren is that he is progressing as expected. Holmgren suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot and underwent surgery to repair it in August. A follow-up surgery was completed in early December to remove hardware from the initial surgery. His recovery timetable is the same.
Here is a clip of him performing shooting drills with Thunder personnel.
Chet from 3 pic.twitter.com/JucGRLvkYx
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) January 7, 2023
Head coach Mark Daigneault recently stated the following:
“His recovery is not behind or further ahead of what is normal,” Daigneault said. “It is going very well. You’re going to see him do more and more as time goes on, and he is doing a great job with it. Those rehabs are dark when they’re that long. He has taken a great approach to it. He is attacking it and seeing the bigger picture.”
“He is watching from the sidelines. He should be really proud of the way that he is taking this so far. It bodes well for us as we move forward with him.”
The 2023 OKC Thunder
It’s exciting to imagine inserting Holmgren into the Oklahoma City Thunder roster. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the young star of the team. Gilgeous-Alexander will make his first All-Star roster this year, averaging an astounding 30.7 points a game. Holmgren displayed tremendous chemistry with 2021 lottery pick Josh Giddey during the summer league games, which looked like a natural fit. Holmgren’s defensive presence would undoubtedly boost the Thunder’s 20th overall defensive ranking.
Without Holmgren, the team has improved tremendously in the last few years, and they are in line to compete for a spot in the play-in tournament. Additionally, the Thunder own the most extensive stash of future draft picks in the league. They have a very bright future.
Despite missing his first season, Chet Holmgren is still eligible for the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Multi-time All-Stars Ben Simmons and Blake Griffin are recent examples of players who missed their entire first season and went on to win rookie of the year the following year. However, Holmgren’s competition will be stiff next year as expected draftees include G-League star point guard Scoot Henderson and the French League All-Star Game MVP Victor Wembanyama.
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3 Comments
Well done
Thanks for the assessment. I think he can a little bit more weight and still be effective. He doesn’t have a history of injuries so thats super positive in my book.
Good info.