Oklahoma City Thunder 7-footer Chet Holmgren will miss the 2022-2023 season with a Lisfranc right foot injury. Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, suffered the injury in Saturday’s Pro-Am game in Seattle.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 25, 2022
Holmgren entered the June draft as one of them Very interesting opportunities. At 7-foot-1, he mixes his size with an impressive offensive skill set and the ability to impact the game on the defensive side of the ball, though his lack of bulk at 195 pounds has been a concern for some teams.
Those concerns didn’t deter the Thunder come June, when Orlando’s Paolo Panchero was drafted by the No. A surprise pick with the 1 pick made Jabari Smith available at No. 2, and Holmgren threatened to slide down the draft board. But Oklahoma City stayed the course and chose the Gonzaga freshman instead of taking Smith.
In Oklahoma City, Holmgren landed on a team dedicated to a patient growth approach that would help shield him from questions about his physique early in his career. The team also added a pair of lottery picks in Usman Dieng and Jalen Williams.
Holmgren was expected to develop into a formidable offensive contributor alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Kiddy in Oklahoma City, and he quickly showed that ability during his Summer League debut, where he scored 23 points on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range. Seven rebounds, six blocks and four assists in nearly 24 minutes. Averaged 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in five games in the Las Vegas Summer League.
A few months ago, the highly-ranked Holmgren, who signed with Gonzaga, was named the West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. He helped lead the top-seeded Bulldogs to the Sweet 16, where they lost to Arkansas.
“We know Chet has a long career ahead of him in our organization and the Oklahoma City community,” Presti said. “One of the things that impressed us most when choosing Seth was his determination and focus. We expect that same tenacity to carry him through this period as we work together and support him during his rehabilitation.
