The Thunder’s rebuild will have to continue this season without the services of Chet Holmgren.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft suffered a significant foot injury during a summer pro-am league game. How long will Holmgren be stuck on the sidelines?
Here’s everything we know about Holmgren’s injury and the latest news on when he may return to the court.
MORE: Expert medical analysis on Holmgren’s injury
What is Chet Holmgren’s injury?
The Thunder announced on Aug. 25 that Holmgren had suffered a Lisfranc injury in his right foot.
Holmgren is believed to have suffered the injury during a game at Jamal Crawford’s CrawsOver Pro-Am League. He attempted to block a LeBron James layup attempt in transition, landed awkwardly and limped down the floor after the change of possession.
Chet Holmgren appeared to injure his ankle while guarding LeBron on this possession 👀pic.twitter.com/AMbvC7N1sq
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) August 21, 2022
“Certainly, we are disappointed for Chet, especially given the excitement he had about getting on the floor with his teammates this season,” Thunder general manager Sam Presti said as part of the team’s statement. “We know Chet has a long career ahead of him within our organization and the Oklahoma City community.
“One of the things that most impressed us during the process of selecting Chet was his determination and focus. We expect that same tenacity will carry him through this period of time as we work together and support him during his rehabilitation.”
How long will Chet Holmgren be out?
The Thunder have already eliminated any chance of a quick recovery, declaring that Holmgren will miss the entire 2022-23 season.
There is some good news for OKC fans, though. Presti told reporters that the long-term outlook for Holmgren is “very positive.”
“We’ve consulted with three of the top foot specialists in the country. Everybody’s in agreement that this is kind of like a wrong place, wrong time situation, and he’s gonna make a full recovery,” Presti said. “Obviously he was disappointed initially, and I’m sure he still is. But his spirits are high.
“He’s ready to roll in terms of the rehab, and I think he’s gonna do a really great job with it.”
Chet Holmgren stats, highlights (2021-22 season with Gonzaga)
- 14.1 points per game
- 9.9 rebounds per game
- 1.9 assists per game
- 3.7 blocks per game
- 0.8 steals per game
- 1.9 turnovers per game
- 26.9 minutes per game
- 60.7 percent shooting
- 39.0 percent 3-point shooting
- 71.7 percent free throw shooting
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