Chet Holmgren saw his rookie season end before it even really began, as he suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot during a pro-am game. It kept him out of action for the entire 2022-23 season, but Holmgren didn’t let it dampen his confidence.
He worked extremely hard to get back on the court and, on his return, averaged 16.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 3.5 BPG in four Summer League games this year for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kevin Garnett has been highly impressed with what he has seen and had a lot of praise for the youngster.
“I watched you play in Utah,” Garnett said. “I watched your first game in the Utah Summer League and I can see the difference in the years, bro. Not only do you look stronger, but your IQ bro. I’m watching the intangibles. I’m watching what you do off the ball. I’m watching how far you drift out versus you drifting in. Bro, you’re blocking everything, f***ing blocking everything.”
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It was a block party from Holmgren at the Las Vegas Summer League, with his average of 3.5 BPG only being bettered by Amen Thompson (4.0 BPG) and Victor Wembanyama (4.0 BPG).
Holmgren added that he had learned from watching Garnett, one of the greatest defensive players in history. To get such high praise from the Hall-of-Famer meant a lot to him and he’d be looking to translate this play into the regular season.
How Will Chet Holmgren Help The Thunder Next Season?
Holmgren stated after his first Summer League game that it feels as if the injury never happened. He is in great shape and that is great news for the Thunder. OKC exceeded expectations last season by finishing with a 40-42 record, but there were still quite a few issues with the team, that Holmgren can help fix.
In the 2022-23 campaign, the Thunder allowed opponents to average 12.0 RPG, which was the second-most in the league, as per the NBA. They were also 22nd in the league at BPG with 4.2 and Chet will almost certainly help them improve in those areas.
There are going to be some expectations on this young team and while the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey will lead the way, they’ll need their big man to play a significant role as well.
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