Chet Holmgren to miss entire 2022-23 season with foot injury
Oklahoma City Thunder and former Gonzaga basketball Chet Holmgren will miss have to sit out his entire rookie season due to a Lisfranic injury to his right foot. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft suffered the injury while playing in The CrawSover Pro-Am last weekend.
As Lakers’ star Lebron James drives to the hoop, Holmgren appears to have step awkwardly in his defense. He’d leave the game before it was later cancelled due to condensation on the court caused by humidity and the large crowd in attendance.
According to OKC General Manager Sam Presti, Holmgren will have foot surgery after the Thunder consulted with three other doctors. Presti noted that the 7-footer suffered a ruptured tendon and not a fraction, which has the Thunder organization optimistic about his long-term recovery.
Missing the season is devastating news, but the future isn't compromised yet, as many players have bounced back to have all-star-caliber campaigns. Joel Embiid sat out his first season with foot issues and has risen to MVP-candidate status heading into this season.
Throughout the summer, fans and analysts alike have been impressed with the 7-footer from Minnesota. He averaged 14 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.8 blocks per game in five Summer League games.
In his lone season as a Zag, Holmgren was a consensus second-team All-American choice and took home the WCC Defensive Player of the Year Award. His 3.7 blocks per game was fourth most in college basketball, as he posted the best defensive rating (78.7) in the nation.
