Chet Holmgren’s return to the Oklahoma City Thunder is getting closer, with the team announcing Friday he’ll be re-evaluated in 3-5 weeks as he recovers from a pelvic fracture.
The 7-foot center has been sidelined since November 10, when he took a nasty fall while trying to defend against Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors.
It’s been a tough break for the 21-year-old, who was putting up impressive numbers before the injury: 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. He was shooting a solid 50.5% from the field and knocking down nearly 38% of his three-pointers.
The good news? The Thunder haven’t missed a beat without him.
They’re sitting pretty at the top of the Western Conference with an incredible 34-6 record. Just this Thursday, they showed their dominance by crushing the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers 134-114.
“We’ve got a deep team,” one might say. While Holmgren’s been out, Jaylin Williams and Branden Carlson have been holding down the center position, with Jalen Williams sometimes stepping in as a smaller option.
This isn’t Holmgren’s first battle with injury. The former Gonzaga star, picked second overall in the 2022 draft, missed his entire rookie season with a Lisfranc injury. But he bounced back strong last year, playing all 82 games and finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting while averaging 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds.
The Thunder are on an absolute tear right now, winning 14 of their last 15 games. They’re nearly unbeatable at home (18-3) and just as dangerous on the road (16-4).
With Holmgren potentially returning just in time for the playoff push, the Thunder’s already impressive season could get even better.
They’ll look to keep their hot streak going tonight against the Dallas Mavericks, who are dealing with injury problems of their own.
