NBA
The Thunder are hopeful that Chet Holmgren will play in the Summer League after missing his entire rookie season
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated26 Jun 2023
The start of Chet Holmgren’s NBA career has not been an easy one. After being selected second overall by the Thunder in the 2021 NBA draft, he missed his entire rookie season due to injury. He suffered a Lisfran injury during a pro-am game last August. Since that time, Holmgren has progressed well and OKC’s GM Sam Presti has been very optimistic. They believe he’ll be ready to play in the 2023 Summer League.
Last summer, Holmgren played five games in Summer League for the Thunder averaging 14/8/2. His injury likely occurred during the Jamal Crawford CrawsOver pro-am game. The event was stopped early due to unsafe court conditions.
The 21-year-old was seen dunking in March and the Thunder have not rushed him back. They had a young and scrappy team last season. Adding a healthy Chet Holmgren into the mix will be a huge bonus to the roster.
Sam Presti said “it’s our hope that [Chet Holmgren] will be out there [at summer league]” adds Chet is doing great.
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) June 24, 2023
There’s a strong chance that Chet Holmgren is available to play in the Summer League for OKC
Coming out of the Class of 2021 in high school, Chet Holmgren was the #1 recruit. He played one season for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and declared for the NBA draft after one season. With how he’s been progressing after the injury, Holmgren should be 100 percent for the start of next season.
After going 40-42 and just missing out on the postseason, Holmgren will be a huge addition to their roster. He’s not a traditional big man in the NBA. Holmgren has impressive handles for a seven-footer and has an elite touch from range. In his one season with Gonzaga, he averaged (.390) from deep.
This year, NBA Summer League begins on July 7. That gives Holmgren a little less than two weeks to be ready to go. After missing his entire rookie season, he must be eager to start his professional career. His Thunder teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has given high praise for how hard Holmgren worked to get back on the court.
