The Chet Holmgren injury news has demoralized both the Oklahoma City Thunder and NBA fanbases. For those who donโt know by now, Holmgren will miss his entire rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury he suffered in a Seattle Pro-Am exhibition.
When the Thunder acquired Holmgren with the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, new levels of excitement and optimism entered the fanbase. The 20-year-oldโs long wingspan allowed him to develop into an elite rim protector that averaged nearly four blocks a game at Gonzaga.
Now, with the injury, who knows how Holmgren looks like after he makes his recovery. Thunder general manager Sam Presti believes the injury will cause no long-term repercussions but thereโs really only one way of founding out and thatโs with time.
Overall, itโs been a somber past few days in Oklahoma City and ESPNโs Brian Windhorstโs recent reveal on his Hoop Collective podcast just dampers the mood even more.
โOne of our colleagues โ Iโm not sure they have said this publicly, maybe they have and I donโt remember โ but one of our colleagues recently was watching Chet in a pickup game in LA where (Joel) Embiid was there in the pickup game. (Chet) just blocked Embiid several times, including on a three-pointerโฆ Nobody who watched that run left without saying, โWow, this Holmgren is a real difference maker on the court. You got to know where heโs on the court at all times.’โ
Just hearing Windhorst rave about Holmgren and how he held his own against someone like Joel Embiid is extremely bittersweet to hear for Thunder fans.
Hopefully โ for the teamโs and fansโ sake โ Holmgren makes a healthy recovery that includes no long-term foot problems. But only time will tell if thatโll be the case.
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What is a Lisfranc injury? Quick overview of the rare basketball injury
