Oklahoma City Thunder fans were looking forward to seeing rookie sensation Chet Holmgren this season. Unfortunately, they will have to wait … for an entire season.
Due to a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren will miss the entire 2022-23 campaign.
The injury occurred this past Saturday during the CrawsOver Pro-Am competition in Seattle. The No. 2 overall pick in this year's NBA Draft was guarding LeBron James on the break before landing awkwardly and limping toward the bench thereafter. It happened a minute into the game:
https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1562804096947564549
It's surely a big loss for the Thunder, especially with Holmgren showing a lot of promise during the offseason. Recall that in the Las Vegas Summer League, the 7-foot-1, 195-pound Holmgren averaged 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in five games for the Thunder. In college, he was a star for Gonzaga, earning WCC Defensive Player of the Year honors and being a Second-Team All-American pick. The 7-footer helped the Bulldogs get to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament by averaging 14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
The Thunder hoped for Holmgren to be a centerpiece of their future, especially after they've built a deep and young core. This core includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, and Josh Giddey.
With Holmgren now confirmed to be out for the season, how can the Thunder still find success in the 2022–23 season? Besides more dreams of tanking for Victor Wembanyama, here's a look at what we can hope to see on the court for OKC.
How Thunder can still salvage 2022-23 season despite Chet Holmgren's injury
3. Pokusevski progresses quickly
The Thunder won just 24 games in 2021-22, so there's really nowhere to go but up. Still, Holmgren's absence will also open the door for others to step up.
One of those guys is Serbian big man Aleksej Pokusevski. He has improved with more playing time and experience, but consistency remains an issue.
Before being benched for the final few games of the 2021-22 season, he was actually at the peak of his game. The Serbian was able to play effectively and let the game come to him at last. In fact, he put up improved numbers in terms of field goal shooting, 3-point shooting, and rebounds.
The forward also showed a well-rounded game over the summer. Pokusevski may not have dominated, but he still played his role and made solid contributions on the court.
Pokusevski has received a lot of criticism from fans and pundits since he has experienced difficult times and a steep learning curve. Still, it's really crucial to keep in mind how young he really is. Both he and Holmgren, in fact, are 20 years old despite Pokusevski already having two NBA seasons under his belt.
Losing Holmgren is a huge drawback, but this could also be the shot Pokusevski needs to prove his true worth.
2. Josh Giddey becomes a stronger triple-double threat
As a rookie, Josh Giddey struggled to shoot the ball well (only 26.3 percent from deep), but he excelled in almost every other area. Only three other NBA players (Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Dejounte Murray) had averages that matched or exceeded his 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. All three of them were All-Stars, with Jokic winning MVP.
That was some company for the Australian rookie.
Giddey was so good that when the Thunder drafted Holmgren, many fans felt this was the OKC renaissance they have been waiting for. Both Giddey and Holmgren were also thrilled to play with each other. They were supposed to be an amazing young combo together with undisputed star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Now, they'll have to wait for one more year.
As a standalone player, Giddey's upside will increase if he can become a league-average shooter. He has a better chance of developing and demonstrating true long-term growth now that he is working with shooting coach Chip Engelland.
The Josh Giddey to Chet Holmgren connection just gets better and better 🍿
Watch Now on ESPN pic.twitter.com/t84P7uDFlI
— NBA (@NBA) July 12, 2022
1. SGA becomes an All-Star
Coming off yet another productive season in Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander appears to have a more talented team surrounding him. Even with Holmgren out for the season, SGA still has a more mature group to lead in 2022-23. That should still bode well for the Thunder.
The 24-year-old guard scored 24.5 points, handed out 5.9 assists, and pulled down 5.0 rebounds per game while appearing in 56 contests for the Thunder last season. His shooting splits, however, decreased to 45.3% from the floor and 30% from 3-point range. SGA has a 35% lifetime 3-point shooting percentage and has been a highly effective scorer, though, so this shouldn't be a concern.
The truth is, as promising as Holmgren is, this is Gilgeous-Alexander's team. The Thunder's rebuilding path right now really starts and ends with the Canadian sensation. Since most rebuilding teams lack a player of SGA's quality, if he continues on his path to fame, the Thunder will rely on him to win games. He is that talented. He is to OKC what Ja Morant is to Memphis.
Looking ahead, perhaps the biggest question mark for him is his defense. Gilgeous-Alexander has displayed flashes of his defensive ability and possesses the length and instincts to develop into an exceptional stopper. He can be a strong on-ball defender when focused and consistently comes up with a couple of steals every game. If he can continue to evolve on this end of the floor, the Thunder can develop into a top defensive squad.
It would have been a dream to see SGA run the break alongside Giddey and Holmgren this season. Alas, we will all have to wait. It's bound to happen. Until then, however, SGA and Giddey will have to carry much more of the load again this coming season.
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