The Oklahoma City Thunder may not be in line to compete for a title, but they have a lot to look forward to in regard to their future. As the 2nd overall pick in the draft, Chet Holmgren is set to be the one to take them to the next level.
Unfortunately, Chet suffered a Lisfranc injury that will keep him out of the game for a while. This weekend, Holmgren issued his first tweet about the injury and made it clear just how much he misses the game.
Can’t wait to hoop again🙃
— chet holmgren (@ChetHolmgren) September 11, 2022
Holmgren, 20, emerged as a star in Gonzaga before he was drafted 2nd overall by the Thunder. Since then, his NBA debut has been highly anticipated by the community and Thunder fans who are ready to see him do his thing. In the meantime, they will just have to wait until his body is fully healed, and he’s ready to return.
Holmgren’s Injury Might Give Him Unique Advantages
Obviously, it’s not ideal for Holmgren to be missing time. Every day that he’s on the court, he’s getting better. Still, Chet might be better off just making the most of the situation. Some, like Evan Turner, think this injury could be 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.” (h/t SportsKeeda)
Holmgren got hurt while defending LeBron James, which had people question whether he was ready to play in the NBA as a skinny 7-footer. Evan Turner believes this injury could be a blessing for Chet as he can use the year to get his body ready for the NBA’s physicality under an organization that values him.
This season, Holmgren will spend most of his time just trying to get healthy and get back in shape. But when he does take the court, there is no doubt that there will be a large crowd ready to hype him up.
Clearly, he is ready to put his best foot forward and prove himself as a star in the NBA while he has got a lot to prove in that regard, he seems to be off to a solid start so far with his approach to his latest injury battle. If those words are any indication of what he’s like in the locker room, it’s safe to say that the Thunder are in good hands going forward.
