The Oklahoma City Thunder will feel like they had two lottery picks in the 2023 NBA Draft this year, as 2022 No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren returns from a Lisfranc injury that he sustained during a Pro-Am exhibition that took place prior to what should have been his rookie season.

Now, a year older and a little wiser, Holmgren is finally back on the court playing competitive basketball. The first taste Thunder fans got of what could be, and what could have been, was in Summer League.

Averaging 16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal per contest (4 games), Holmgren was dominant on both ends of the court, inspiring confidence in his ability to hit the ground running when the real games start. Holmgren was also a member of the Team USA Select Team, an honor he shared with teammate and rookie standout Jalen Williams.

Holmgren, sitting down for an interview with HoopsHype's Sam Yip during USA Basketball Training Camp, discusses his upcoming season as well as his preparation for it. That includes a year of physical rehab that he admits was “challenging.”

“I mean anything like that is gonna be challenging for anybody,” Holmgren says, “but I feel like I’ve stayed the course really well, and I didn’t let my focus, attention to detail or confidence waver. It was a challenging year, but I feel like I made the most out of it.”

However, while Holmgren says he was focusing on individual skill work, that doesn't mean that his eyes are trained on individual success. To him, the real prize will be what the team is able to accomplish.

“My focus is on helping this team win games,” he says, maturely. “Things like Rookie of the Year, and everything else are not important… Everything else follows the team’s success.”