The No. 2 pick of the Oklahoma Thunder in the 2022 NBA Draft, big man Chet Holmgren was expected to make a major impact as a rookie this season.
That might now be on hold. Holmgren, 20, just recently took part in the TheCrawsOver Pro-Am in Seattle with the likes of LeBron James.
In said game this past weekend, Holmgren landed awkwardly on the court attempting to defend James on a fast break.
We now have more information on this, and it’s not great.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, tests show that Holmgen has potential torn ligaments in the foot. A timeline is being determined for a return to the court.
The game in question had to be stopped due to unsafe court conditions. It’s not a great look considering who was taking part and the otherwise meaningless outcome of said game in the grand scheme of things. One now has to wonder if teams will prevent players from taking part moving forward.
Related: Chet Holmgren and top NBA Rookie of the Year candidates
Chet Holmgren injury and the impact
Obviously, we don’t have enough to work on when it comes to the severity of the injury to draw a final conclusion. It will depend on how long Holmgren is out. But it’s safe to say that the rookie will miss the opening of the Oklahoma City Thunder season.
OKC finished last season with a 25-58 record. Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed 26 games to injury. Then-rookie Josh Giddey also missed 28 games despite being in the NBA Rookie of the Year competition.
- Chet Holmgren stats (2021-22): 14.1 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 3.7 BPG, 61% shooting, 39% 3-point
A rare 7-footer with outside shooting ability and great defensive skills, Holmgren is seen as a generational talent. He was the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation back in 2021 out of Minnehaha High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
We will have further updates on this injury as soon as they become available. For now, the Thunder are in wait-and-see mode.