An NBA championship won’t contaminate Chet Holmgren’s mind. He can’t let one ring make him complacent. Even though the second half of his season ended with standout playoff performances, the first half was spent on the sidelines with crutches and what-if scenarios.

Despite capturing a ring, it was quite a rollercoaster season for Holmgren. The Oklahoma City Thunder had to play three months without him as a Nov. 2024 hip fracture cost him a significant amount of time. Before the altering injury, it looked like the 23-year-old was on the cusp of a breakout season.

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Through the first couple of weeks in the 2024-25 regular season, Holmgren made a strong case as being the Thunder’s best player. He averaged 18.2 points on 51.9% shooting, 9.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in his first nine games before he sustained a hip fracture.

Paired with his rim protection on the NBA’s best defense, those are All-Star numbers. Holmgren could’ve joined Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams for the weekend festivities. Instead, he barely returned from a three-month absence before the break. He spent the final two months of the regular season improving his in-game conditioning before the playoffs started.

Answering fan questions on social media, Holmgren talked about his offseason workouts. When asked what he’s added to his basketball move collection, he instead reflected on the up-and-down year he experienced. The seven-footer hopes the offseason will help him return to his level of play before he suffered the hip injury.

“I just gotta stay healthy, man. Last year, I was getting to all my different spots at the beginning of the year and then I got hurt. I didn’t quite feel like me when I came back,” Holmgren said. “I came back pretty quick. I was able to get right this summer. I feel like I got a lot more to show.”

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There’s zero doubt about just how big a difference-maker Holmgren is. When he’s on the court, he takes the Thunder’s defense up a level with his paint protection. On the other end, his combination of size and skill makes him one of the toughest covers.

The only criticism against Holmgren through his first three seasons is his availability. He’s missed roughly half the games he could’ve played in. His 2022-23 season was wiped out before it even started when he suffered a Lisfranc injury. And then a hip fracture cost him half of his 2024-25 campaign.

That said, the Thunder remain fully confident in Holmgren. After all, he signed a hefty contract extension this offseason. Hard to blame them, either. The deeper they went into the playoffs, the better the 23-year-old looked. They’ll now bank on the bet that he won’t suffer another freak injury and that he continues to progress.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Chet Holmgren hopes to return to pre-injury form in 2025-26 season