On Sunday, November 10th, when the Thunder played the Warriors, OKC felt a big gasp. The gasp came in the first quarter when Chet Holmgren attempted a block and fell awkwardly on his hip. Thunder fans feared he could be out for the whole year. However, there was a little relief when it was reported that Holmgren suffered an iliac wing fracture. Holmgren’s return to play protocol would come in about 8-10 weeks. With Holmgren suffering the injury other players had to step up and they have.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has stepped up his game, averaging 33 points since the injury. He could be on his way to winning the MVP. Jalen Williams has become the second go-to scorer the Thunder saw flashes of last year and could become a first-time All-Star. Finally, Isaiah Hartenstein has stepped up the most averaging career numbers in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks. Hartenstein has shown why the Thunder gave him $87 million this offseason. All three of these players have stepped up the most in Holmgren’s absence. However, it has been around nine weeks since Holmgren’s injury and his return is close. With Holmgren’s return possibly being this month, let’s look at the players on the Thunder who will be affected the most by his return.
As Chet Holmgren sheds crutches, excitement builds on Thunder for his return (via @The_ThunderWire):https://t.co/OmCGIbi3bT
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) January 1, 2025
Holmgren’s Return Will Affect These Players The Most
Shai and Jalen Will Benefit From the Most
Shai and Jalen have taken on more of the offensive load since Holmgren’s injury. However, with Holmgren potentially returning he is another scorer that can take the load off of them. Teams have put all their attention on trying to stop SGA and Williams. Shai has been used to it as he has seen this from other teams over the last three to four years. However, Jalen is getting more attention from other teams than he has ever gotten before and there have been stretches in games where he has struggled because of it. Furthermore, Holmgren’s impending return will change how teams guard the Thunder.
Without Holmgren, teams have been playing drop coverage on any of Shai’s screens since there is no threat of a pick-and-pop. This has been to try and stop the Thunder from relentlessly attacking the paint. However, with Holmgren being a threat as a shooter teams won’t be able to play drop coverage anymore against the Thunder. That will lead to more driving lanes opening up for Shai as well as more open looks from three with Holmgren. It is essentially pick your poison when Holmgren comes back. This will also benefit Jalen when he is the primary option on the court. Also, Holmgren being back will help with Jalen seeing teams focus a little less on him defensively and will allow him to get easier looks.
Chet’s Return Will Affect Mitchell, Jaylin, and Kenrich the Most
Ajay Mitchell has been a big surprise for the Thunder. He was a second-round pick and wasn’t seen as someone who would make an impact on this team. However, with injuries the Thunder had to endure, he has been tasked to play more early and often than what was previously anticipated. He is averaging 6.4 points and is efficient with 50.6% from the field and 43.1% from three. Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams have slotted in to play the backup big minutes with Holmgren being absent. Kenrich is averaging career numbers in field goal percentage and Jaylin brings that much-needed energy off the bench. Whether he is hitting a “boom” from a made three or taking a charge on the other end.
However, with Holmgren coming back soon these three players’ minutes will decrease. Mark Daigneault has been known to run a 10-11 man rotation even in the playoffs if he has the depth to do it. This will hopefully allow Jaylin, Kenrich, and Mitchell to get some minutes in games. Ultimately, these three players’ roles and minutes will unfortunately change when Holmgren returns from the injury. Instead of them averaging 10-15 minutes per game, it could drop to 5-10 minutes when he returns.
Holmgren’s Return Will Benefit Isaiah Hartenstein
When the Thunder signed Hartenstein in free agency, Thunder fans couldn’t wait to see him play together with Chet. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, they had to wait longer than anticipated to see them together. Now, that Holmgren is close to returning and it could happen as soon as this month. Fans are finally excited to see the pairing of Holmgren and Hartenstein. However, Holmgren’s return will benefit Hartenstein and affect him a little bit. He will benefit Hartenstein because their games complement each other very well. Hartenstein is the brute force with rebounding, paint scoring, and passing skills. Whereas Holmgren is more of the finesse type with outside shooting, dribbling, shot-blocking, and some passing as well.
Hartenstein and Holmgren on the floor together will cause a lot of mismatches that will benefit both of them. However, it is unclear if Hartenstein will remain a starter when Holmgren comes back. It is uncommon in today’s NBA to have two 7-footers in your starting lineup. If that is the case and Hartenstein doesn’t start, his impact on the Thunder will decrease a little bit. Ultimately, the Thunder would rather have Hartenstein’s impact decrease slightly to get the advantages and potential that Holmgren and Hartenstein playing together possess.
The Last Word on Holmgren’s Return
The Thunder have gone an impressive 22-3 since Holmgren got hurt. In addition, they are in the middle of a 15-game winning streak. It seems like they haven’t skipped a beat even with missing their second or third best player. However, if you thought the Thunder are good now, once Holmgren returns they will be even more dangerous of a team to the rest of the league. However, his return will affect players on the roster in a positive and some ways negatively. Regardless, Holmgren’s return will benefit this team and their hopes of getting the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of the year.
The post Holmgren’s Return Will Affect These Players The Most appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.