After going through the first half of the season with a lot of injury problems, the Oklahoma City Thunder somehow managed to find a way and thrive and score impressive wins to top the standings as the best team in the league as of the time of writing. All that, and they haven’t even played at full strength at this point with Chet Holmgren still slated to return from his injury.

Chet Holmgren missed the most of the season after suffering a pelvic fracture that kept him out of the game since November. After months of recovery, the high-potential big man is coming to return for the Thunder this coming week and will likely be the biggest win in the trade deadline for any team considering how his impact has been missed by OKC.

Only, he’s coming back to a team that has weathered the storm without him. OKC went 17-1 at home in games where either Holmgren or fellow center Isaiah Hartenstein played. The Thunder stands at 40-9 after today's 140-109 win over the Phoenix Suns, boasting the best record in the league and even beating contenders with their small-ball game, which says a lot about their depth at this point.

Holmgren’s Return Boosts OKC to Another Level

Holmgren managed to play 10 games in the 2024-25 season and was even poised to come up with an All-Star campaign had it not been for his injury. The Thunder center averaged 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game on 50.5% shooting from the field, including a whopping 37.8% from three.

OKC had to adjust its game plan with Holmgren out, who scored at least 20-plus points four times in the 10 games he’s played so far. He initially led OKC in scoring and rebounding prior to his injury and dropped 29 points on 8-14 shooting in a 126-107 win against the Houston Rockets – a game before he got injured against the Golden State Warriors.

Holmgren’s return definitely sets OKC to bigger heights considering that they will be healthy enough for the first time in 50 games. He has been a promising performer in his own right, and he surely boosts the dynamic for OKC’s defensive schemes considering how the media has peddled them to be a poor rebounding team.

Holmgren is expected to return on Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans at home, where the Thunder begins a two-game homestand and will play the Heat and the Timberwolves before the All-Star Break.

What Does Holmgren Bring to OKC?

OKC tends to struggle with rebounding and rim protection against bigger teams (looking at you, Dallas Mavericks). Adding a 7-foot giant who can space the floor at will and grabs 8.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game is definitely an answer that you can expect to have full effect at this point in time.

It is worth noting that nine of the Thunder’s losses aren’t really that bad – but those were the games where Holmgren was sorely missed. Those losses saw OKC to come up with less than 50 rebounds, It is also worth noting that all of those losses were tight games, and extra offense from Chet Holmgren certainly brings in a huge factor to look out for.

Adding Holmgren back into the lineup changes OKC to a whole new level, and they definitely have room for errors with a promising seven-game cushion at the first seed in the wild Western Conference, which should give the center some time to adjust.