The Thunder's rebuild catapulted ahead of its perceived schedule this season, thanks in large part to star rookie Chet Holmgren.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander taking an MVP-caliber leap and Jalen Williams emerging as a Most Improved Player candidate certainly helped, but Holmgren proved to be the missing third piece and interior presence that Oklahoma City needed to compete.
After missing his entire first year in the NBA due to a foot injury, Holmgren played in all 82 games during his rookie season.
He anchored the Thunder to the fourth-best defense in the NBA with the second-most blocks in the league. As a result, Oklahoma City stunned by claiming the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference in a tiebreaker with the defending champion Nuggets.
How did Holmgren go from being sidelined for a full season to an iron man as a rookie? The Sporting News takes a closer look below.
Chet Holmgren injury timeline
July 5, 2022: Chet Holmgren stars in first NBA Summer League
After being selected by the Thunder with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Holmgren was ready to go for Summer League. He wasted no time to prove worthy of his selection, going off for 23 points, seven rebounds, and six blocks in his debut against the Jazz.
Holmgren appeared in five Summer League games, averaging 14.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks.
August 20, 2022: Chet Holmgren suffers foot injury in CrawsOver Pro-Am
One month later, Holmgren's first NBA season was taken from him. The star rookie was participating in Jamal Crawford's annual "CrawsOver" Pro-Am event when he suffered what was, at first, believed to be an ankle injury.
Holmgren was defending LeBron James in transition and came up hobbling. He tried to walk it off and was subbed out of the exhibition game immediately.
Here's the play where Chet Holmgren got hurt tonight. He was guarding @KingJames one-on-one. It's hard to tell how he got hurt. He might have just stepped weirdly. @ChetHolmgren @thecrawsover #thunder pic.twitter.com/AzUBYUgnyV
— Nathan Thompson (@NathanDThompson) August 21, 2022
August 25, 2022: Thunder rule Chet Holmgren out for season with a Lisfranc injury
Five days later, Holmgren was diagnosed with a Linsfranc injury to his right foot. The Thunder ruled him out for the entire 2022-23 season after announcing he would need foot surgery.
"Certainly, we are disappointed for Chet, especially given the excitement he had about getting on the floor with his teammates this season," Thunder general manager Sam Presti said.
"We know Chet has a long career ahead of him within our organization and the Oklahoma City community. One of the things that most impressed us during the process of selecting Chet was his determination and focus. We expect that same tenacity will carry him through this period of time as we work together and support him during his rehabilitation.
"... Something positive will come from this," Presti concluded.
July 3, 2023: Chet Holmgren returns for NBA Summer League
After a full season off, Holmgren was back to full strength and ready to dominate Summer League.
He went for 15 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks in his return against the Jazz. Holmgren averaged 16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks over four Summer League games, looking ready to make an immediate impact in the NBA.
October 9, 2023: Chet Holmgren makes his NBA preseason debut
Three months later, Holmgren was ready to go heading into his first NBA preseason. Going up against 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama in his debut, Holmgren more than held his own. He went for 21 points, nine rebounds, and one block, leading the Thunder to a win over Wemby's Spurs.
Holmgren appeared in four preseason games, averaging 16.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks.
October 25, 2023: Chet Holmgren makes his official NBA debut
One full season on the sidelines later, Holmgren was immediately inserted into the Thunder's starting lineup. He went for a quiet 11 points and four rebounds in his debut, but his second game gave NBA fans an idea of what was coming for the rest of the season: Holmgren posted 16 points, 13 rebounds, and seven blocks in a win over the Cavaliers.
He would go on to play in all 82 (!) games during his official rookie season, averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks.
82/82 pic.twitter.com/K5YL8P06C4
— chet holmgren (@ChetHolmgren) April 14, 2024
Holmgren's 190 total blocks ranked second in the NBA to Wembanyama, and he anchored the league's fourth-best defense to help the Thunder claim the No. 1 seed in the West for the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
