Oklahoma City Thunder star big man Chet Holmgren has yet to play a game in the NBA since being drafted second overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. Holmgren is still recovering from a Lisfranc injury he suffered back in the offseason.
Once Holmgren first went down with the injury, folks assumed that the Thunder would once again be a bottom-feeder team in the 2022-23 season. But the Thunder have shocked the world this season, as behind the play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they currently own a 36-38 record, good enough for a play-in spot if the season ended today. And a recent cryptic Instagram post from Holmgren hints that he hasn't ruled out a return this season if the Thunder qualify for the playoffs.
On Friday night, Holmgren posted a picture to Instagram of him dribbling a basketball with the caption “Free 7”.
Chet Holmgren, 20, was one of the most dominant players in all of college basketball just one year ago. As a member of the Gonzaga Bulldogs, he averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals, 3.7 blocks, and 1.9 turnovers per game across 32 appearances.
Whether Holmgren will make his NBA debut or not during the postseason remains to be seen. After all, the Oklahoma City Thunder might not even qualify for the playoffs, as they are currently tied with the Dallas Mavericks for the 10th-best record in the Western Conference. But there's no denying that should the Thunder make the postseason, the addition of Holmgren into the lineup will drastically help Oklahoma City's chances of pulling off a first-round upset.