What Can Thunder Fans Expect from Chet Holmgren in Year One?

With Chet Holmgren returning from an injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2022-23 season, OKC fans are waiting anxiously to see what the former No. 2 pick can bring to the team.

After being selected second overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, Chet Holmgren was primed for a stellar rookie season in Oklahoma City. With the off season leap made by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the emergence of Josh Giddey and rookie Jalen Williams, Holmgren would have been a welcome addition to a team that regularly played without a 7-footer on the court. 

Holmgren, however, suffered a foot injury during a Pro-Am game last summer, keeping him out of action for the 2022-23 season. The former Gonzaga star isn't the first player to miss his entire rookie year; Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Blake Griffin all were forced to miss their first professional season due to injuries in the past 15 years.

Simmons, Embiid and Griffin all bounced back to have impeccable season's for the franchises that drafted them. After missing his first year, Simmons won the Rookie of the Year award in 2017-18. 

Simmons continued to impress in the years after his injury, being selected to three All-Star squads and earning an All-NBA and two All-Defensive team nods. While many people will diminish the former 76er's accomplishments due to the way his time in Philadelphia ended, there is no question that he was a very productive player who notched multiple good seasons.

Simmons' former teammate, Joel Embiid, missed his first two NBA seasons due to injury, logging only 31 appearances during his third year in the league. After overcoming these injuries, however, Embiid turned into a versatile big man who can shoot, dribble and operate down low. 

Over the course of his first 31 NBA games, Embiid averaged 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.5 blocks per contest. The former Kansas Jayhawk has averaged a double-double every season since his rookie year, earning the 2022-23 NBA MVP award after an outstanding season.

Griffin also bounced back after an injury kept the explosive forward off the court for what should have been his rookie season. The Oklahoma product averaged an incredible 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in 2010-11, earning Griffin the Rookie of the Year award. 

The high-flying big man also won the Slam Dunk contest and earned six All-Star and five All-NBA selections in the years following his injury. 

The triumphant success of Simmons, Embiid and Griffin should give Oklahoma City fans confidence that Holmgren can return to the court like he never left, seamlessly fitting in to what should be an entertaining group of players in 2023-24. With the 7-footer's ability to block shots and knock down 3-pointers, Holmgren should be a perfect fit for the Thunder when he returns.

While he likely will not be the primary or even secondary scoring option for OKC as a rookie, Holmgren's blend of rebounding, scoring and shot-blocking should make him a very productive player for Oklahoma City. If last year's second overall selection is able to replicate his summer league performances from a year ago, he will certainly be in the running for Rookie of the Year.

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