The Oklahoma City Thunder had the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. They selected Chet Holmgren who played only one year in Gonzaga. Unfortunately, during a pro-am game before his professional career started, he suffered a foot injury.
Consequently, he was sidelined for the entire 2022-2023 NBA season. In his road to return to the court this upcoming year, Holmgren spoke on learning from former Thunder Kevin Durant in workouts.
Holmgren has been compared to Durant in terms of his playing style. Although he is listed as 7’1, he does not play as a traditional center. That is why it is fitting that he is trying to soak in the game from arguably the best Thunder player to play for the organization.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant & Phoenix Suns Updates
Holmgren said that he “was just trying to learn the game” from Durant. He added that Durant “knows a lot of people in the building” during the workouts in the summer. Furthermore, the second overall pick highlighted Durant.
“I was just trying to learn the game from him,” Holmgren said. “I had some Thunder staff with me out there this summer and he knows a lot of people in the building. He’s great. He’s always spreading the love and it’s all love coming from him.”
Holmgren is expected to be healthy and start for the Thunder once the season begins. He will be paired with one of the best guards in the league in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That will be a duo to watch for that might be a sleeper in the Western Conference. OKC continues their rebuild after seeing Durant and Russell Westbrook leave the team. During their tenure, the duo led the team to the Finals and Conference Finals.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant & Phoenix Suns Updates
The Thunder are optimistic that Holmgren will flourish with the team. Learning from the best can only lead to a positive outcome. It will be interesting to see if he can get them over the hump into the post-season after failing to make the playoffs the last three years.
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