Chet Holmgren Set to Galvanize Thunder Lineup

After missing his entire first year, Chet Holmgren showcased the very same skills that made him the No. 2 pick in 2023 NBA Summer League.

There are always going to be understandable worries when a player suffers a season-ending injury.

Would Chet Holmgren come back the same player? Will certain skills take even longer to get back to form? Did he miss too much time to make the same impact he would’ve last year?

Following a productive stint at 2023 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, most of those worries have been put to rest.

There were, of course, times that it looked like Holmgren had missed a year of basketball. He got tired quicker, left lots of shots short due to strength issues and was generally a little shakier at times. But overall, his four games — which featured 16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and a whopping 3.5 blocks per game — were resoundingly positive.

Holmgren best performance came in his last game against the Indiana Pacers. He scored a game-high 25 points, grabbed nine boards, dished two assists, nabbed one steal and sent five blocks in one of the better all-around performances from the entire event.

It was games like those, intermingled with chase-down blocks and self-created shots, that let those watching closely know that Holmgren will be ready to go come time for the 2023-24 regular season.

It’s been nearly three seasons since Oklahoma City has consistently run a true center.

Holmgren, one of the better shot-blocking prospects in recent memory, is set to galvanize the lineup with stingy interior defense, length on both sides of the ball and stretch potential.

Oklahoma City has one final Summer League game before a much-needed offseason prior to what should be an exciting regular season for the organization.

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