By Michael Kinney
The Oklahoma City Thunder was having the kind of start to the season they wanted. Entering their longest home stand of the season, they had the best record in the NBA at 8-1 and had already converted most of the league into believers of their title potential.
The most common phrase that had been attached to Oklahoma City was “If they stay healthy” they can win it all.
Then Sunday night came, and the healthy part of that phrase disappeared. The Oklahoma City Thunder announced Monday that center Chet Holmgren sustained a right iliac wing fracture during the first quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Holmgren is expected to return during the 2024-25 season, and an update on his return-to-play protocol will be provided in 8-to-10 weeks.
This is the second time Holmgren will miss significant time since being drafted into the NBA. He missed his entire rookie year and suffered an injury during the summer.
“Can’t tell if I feel better or worse about this having been through something similar before,” Holmgren posted on social media. “On one hand I know how to approach it, I know what to do, what not to do and how beautiful the other side is. But on the other hand, I’ve felt the frustration of this process, and the wear it puts on your mind. Most of all I’m hurt I can’t help my teammates and play for our fans and supporters for a while. Everyone who sticks with me and our team, along with my need for hoops, is a big part of my passion to return. Don’t pity me or feel bad, there’s lots of people out there rn with real problems that don’t heal. Anyways excuse my rambling just wanted to address our OKC fans and family.”
Holmgren is averaging 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.
What is different from about the Thunder this year compared to Holmgren’s rookie year is that the franchise is better prepared to handle the loss. Key additions in the offseason along with the talented core should help them absorb his absence in some game.
“It’s not the first time that we’ve done it,” Jalen Williams said, asked about the reality of playing small should Holmgren miss time. “Looking forward to the challenge.”
In the loss to the Warriors, Oklahoma City trailed 16-12 when Holmgren was injured and had to be helped off the floor. From that point on, the Thunder didn’t have the same energy or enthusiasm they had been playing with.
“It’s hard,” he said. “Hopefully, he’s OK. It’s part of the game, but it sucks. It changed a lot for us defensively, for sure,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You guys can probably tell, he does so much on that end of the floor. He cleans up so many things, deters so many things around the rim when he’s not blocking them (shots).”
In their first full game without Holmgren in the lineup, the Thunder held off the Los Angeles Clippers 134-126. Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge as he scored a career high of 45 points to go along with 9 assists and 5 steals.
“It didn’t feel special,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It didn’t feel like I did something I’d never done before. Just felt like another basketball game. I felt like I should have had more, missed some easy shots, but [that’s] the game.”
Gilgeous-Alexander has seemingly reached that part of his career where he knows he can go get any shot he wants at any time in the game. It’s something he felt last year but says he didn’t act on it enough.
The MVP candidate is not letting that happen again this campaign, no matter who is on the court with him.
“I don’t say this to slight my teammates,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “But I feel like the end of our season last year in the playoffs, obviously for a lot of them, it was the first time in the playoffs and playing games that meaningful. And I don’t want to say they weren’t ready, but I feel like I could have equipped them better throughout the year in taking [certain] shots, getting to spots and being more comfortable in certain positions on the court, especially offensively. I feel like in the playoffs we were good defensively and offensively is why we lost. And part of my job is to make sure that my teammates are confident and are ready for big moments.”
The Thunder will continue their longest homestand of the season Wednesday when they host New Orleans before facing off with the Phoenix Suns Friday and Dallas Sunday at the Paycom Center.
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