There is nothing more devastating than a player coming into the league with a lot of hype and then getting injured before they can even play a game. This story is not uncommon too. A lot of recent high draft picks have struggled with injuries. Ben Simmons is an excellent example, missing his entire first season with a foot injury and then claiming Rookie of the Year next season.
Chet Holmgren has become the unfortunate latest example of this situation, suffering a Lisfranc injury over the summer that will likely keep him out for the entirety of his first season. And this is a time when a youngster might get demoralized, but players in the league that has already been through this are reaching out to him seemingly. Joel Embiid has reportedly given Chet advice on how to deal with it.
Chet Holmgren says got good advice from Joel Embiid about going through an injury his rookie year.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) September 29, 2022
“Chet Holmgren says got good advice from Joel Embiid about going through an injury his rookie year.”
This must be very helpful to Chet, considering Embiid is one of the league’s best players right now. A perennial MVP candidate, Embiid has been plagued with injuries his whole career. But that has not stopped him from putting up incredible numbers and impressing everyone with his play. His words will have been massive for Chet, who hasn’t dealt with anything like this before in his life.
Chet Holmgren: “I’ve never had a serious injury in my life. So I had nothing to compare it to.. I didn’t imagine anything like this for sure.”
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) September 29, 2022
“I’ve never had a serious injury in my life. So I had nothing to compare it to.. I didn’t imagine anything like this for sure.”
Chet Holmgren’s Injury Could Give Him An Advantage, Says Evan Turner
While Holmgren’s injury is very unfortunate, some are trying to see the silver lining. Evan Turner spoke about how it might end up being a blessing in disguise.
“I think it’s a big difference because he’s only 19 and like we said earlier, his body is still developing. Think about how much of an advantage is going to get like having NBA training, having, you know, NBA workouts, you know, getting his body back healthy and coming back hopefully next year maybe 20 or 25 pounds heavier and fully ready for the NBA.”
“Go through a redshirt year in a league where you have no problem and you just keep working out and they’re prepping for you. Man, he’s in a great situation because they’re building a future based on him.”
Having a lot of the people who have been there before talking to him and giving him advice can only help Holmgren through this. The hope is that he will be able to take the court soon, fans are very intrigued by the No. 2 overall pick and what kind of career he could have in the league.