Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren will miss at least eight to 10 weeks with a fractured femoral neck, the team announced after Sunday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors. The injury to his upper right hip, called a wing of the ilium, occurred during a frightening fall in the first quarter. Just past half the frame, Holmgren jumped to counter Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins’ layup attempt.
When Wiggins made contact with Holmgren’s upper body, his lower body tilted parallel to the floor and he fell to the floor with force. The brunt of the impact appeared to be on Holmgren’s right hip and side.
The scene of the play is as follows.
“I don’t know if it makes me feel better or worse because I’ve been through something similar before,” Holmgren wrote in a social media post. “On the one hand, I know how to approach it. I know what to do, what not to do, and how beautiful it is on the other side. But on the other hand, I know how to approach it. I know what to do, what not to do, and how beautiful it is on the other side. But on the other hand, I know how to approach it. I know what to do, what not to do, and how beautiful it is on the other side. And I’ve felt the depletion that comes with that. Most of all, I’m hurt and I won’t be able to help my teammates or play for my fans and supporters for a while. Don’t pity me or make me feel bad. Please. There are many people who have real problems that cannot be cured.”
Holmgren is off to a great start to his sophomore season, finishing with four rebounds and no points in five minutes of action. He improved his numbers across the board and entered Sunday’s game averaging 18 points and nine rebounds. His 2.9 blocks per game were second in the NBA.
The timing of Holmgren’s injury isn’t ideal for the 8-2 Thunder. Isaiah Hartenstein, a valuable offseason acquisition and the next addition to the midfield, is still out after breaking his left hand during a preseason game, and backup center Jaylin Williams is out with a hamstring injury. He will be out for at least a few more weeks.
Oklahoma City coach Mark Dainot will likely have to rely on a small-ball lineup as long as Holmgren is out, unless the front office makes some adjustments to the roster pending Hartenstein’s return. Last season, the Thunder signed Bismack Biyombo as center insurance late in the season, but he barely played. Oklahoma City’s style of play relies on the presence of big men who can space the floor, and given the rarity of such players, the originally undersized Thunder are able to overcome Holmgren’s injury and find their own. You may choose to make do with what you have.
