Chet Holmgren Injury Doesn’t Come At Major Cost Of Thunder Season

The news of Chet Holmgren’s injury was a rough blow to not just Oklahoma City Thunder fans, but basketball fans everywhere.

The 7’1 center, who offers a skill combination that’s truly unique, is likely to miss a significant portion of time due to a potential torn ligament in his foot, casting doubt about his availability during his rookie season.

Fortunately, however, the Thunder aren’t in any rush this season to get better, which is an odd silver lining, but one worth remembering.

Health over immediate production

Both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons missed their rookie seasons during Philadelphia’s infamous process, known affectionately as The Process, and both turned out great despite their shaky starts.

For Holmgren, even if he should miss the entire season, there’s plenty of time for him to heal, get acquainted with the league, the traveling, and the ins and outs of how the NBA operates. While it may seem like a wasted season in regards to game experience, he’ll still be able to have learning moments that should prepare him a great deal for next year.

For the Thunder, it means more of the same. Holmgren wasn’t necessarily going to move the needle a ton during his first year, and it seems fair to estimate another losing season for the Thunder, who are still looking ahead to future drafts. That means more opportunities for the young core in place, who now won’t have to fight Holmgren for minutes initially. That allows them to find new footing as NBA players, further accelerating their own development.

Of course, the Thunder organization will have to be disappointed in now having Holmgren available, as that leaves them with little data on how he meshes with the rest of the roster, but long-term health is the primary focus here. While Holmgren is out, it also allows the Thunder to install an upper body weight training program to his benefit, which the 190-pound center is likely to need if he is to become a nightly NBA big man.

Preparation time

For Holmgren, being eased into the NBA by watching from the sidelines could also have some moments of benefit. For one, most rookies mention the increased speed of the NBA game as a major difference from the college ranks. With Holmgren sitting courtside and watching games up close, he’ll unquestionably notice the speed element, and make mental notes of he himself needs to adapt when he takes the court for the first time.

Furthermore, it’s also a teaching moment in learning player tendencies. Every player has a certain move or play they like, and if Holmgren’s eyes are keen on making those observations, the youngster could come back mentally more ready, and far more prepared, to compete against opposing NBA bigs.

While Thunder fans might not wish to see the glass-half-full side of this injury right now – and understandably so – it’s nevertheless an opportunity that the Thunder, and Holmgren, should utilize to have him ready to come out like gangbusters when he’s healed and primed to play again.

In the meantime, it’s up the remaining Thunder players to get better on the court, and use the extra minutes that’ll now be available. The team will likely finish in the bottom half of the Western Conference, as initially projected anyway, which ultimately means no harm done to the timing of Holmgren’s injury, even if it’s an unfortunate even in and of itself.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.