The Oklahoma City Thunder faced off against the Utah Jazz on Monday in their first NBA Summer League game, and former No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren returned to the floor and impressed in a big way.
Big things were expected of Holmgren when the team took him with the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, he missed the entirety of his rookie season after suffering a Lisfranc injury before the season even began last year.
Holmgren produced in a big way in every aspect of the game, recording 15 points to go along with nine rebounds and four blocks in 29 minutes.
Perhaps his most impressive play came on the defensive end of the floor with a ridiculous two-handed block on former Baylor Bears standout Keyonte George.
Chet Holmgren 2-hand block 🔥
Salt Lake City Summer League LIVE on NBA TV.
Watch on the NBA App: https://t.co/LDfT93bQhD pic.twitter.com/6fCQl2RGLU— NBA (@NBA) July 4, 2023
Holmgren impressed in the Summer League last season, and he clearly looked like the same player in this game. Many took to social media to offer their opinion on his impressive return.
Chet Holmgren. 🔥
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) July 4, 2023
Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren in his Summer League Return
• 15 PTS
• 9 REB
• 2 AST
• 4 BLK
• 6/14 FG#ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/fgUd6yn2P7— No Ceilings (@NoCeilingsNBA) July 4, 2023
Chet Holmgren tonight:
15 PTS
9 REB
4 BLK
6-13 FGMLooks pretty good. Excited to see what he can do for the Thunder this upcoming season. pic.twitter.com/FZAOYFenK3
— NBA World (@NBAW0RLD24) July 4, 2023
It took Chet Holmgren a bit to get going, but this was an incredible stretch over just a couple of minutes: pic.twitter.com/Bue5F4lNOL
— Nick Crain (@CrainNBA) July 4, 2023
Chet Holmgren is back in is BAG 🎒pic.twitter.com/Yxl4cXmO0M
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 4, 2023
French sensation Victor Wembanyama has received a ton of hype for his eye-popping skills while standing at over seven feet tall. He certainly deserves that hype, but Chet Holmgren has a similar skillset and his injury last season may have some people forgetting about him.
It will be very interesting to see how Holmgren fits in with a young and entertaining Oklahoma City Thunder team. The Thunder notably shocked everyone last season by making the NBA Play-In Tournament last season. If he can be an impact player in his first season on the court, the Thunder could quickly become a dark horse contender in the Western Conference.