Chet Holmgren

And-Ones: Wright, Rookie Extensions, All-Interview Team, More

May 10th, 2025 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Colorado guard McKinley Wright IV, who appeared in 32 NBA regular season games for Minnesota and Dallas from 2021-23, has been named the Most Valuable Player for the ABA League (formerly known as the Adriatic League) in Europe.

Wright has spent the last two seasons playing for KK Buducnost and led the Montenegrin team to a 26-4 record and a No. 1 seed in ABA competition this season. The 26-year-old, known as a solid perimeter defender, averaged team bests of 12.8 points and 4.9 assists in 22.5 minutes per game, with an excellent shooting line of .545/.370/.848.

Wright now has the honor of sharing a career accomplishment with future Hall of Famer Nikola Jokic, who was named the MVP of the ABA League in 2014/15, his age-20 season, when he played for Mega Basket in Serbia.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report considers the likelihood of a new deal for each of the 22 players eligible for rookie scale extensions this offseason. Pincus forecasts maximum-salary extensions for Magic forward Paolo Banchero and Thunder teammates Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, while predicting that Pistons big man Jalen Duren (four years, $112MM) will get the fourth-most lucrative deal among that group, ahead of Hawks guard Dyson Daniels and Nuggets guard Christian Braun (four years, $94MM each).
The Professional Basketball Writers Association officially named its first and second “All-Interview” teams for the 2024/25 season this week, recognizing the players who are “consistently thoughtful, insightful and engaging with the media.” As the PBWA details in a press release, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, and Draymond Green made the first team, with Tyrese Haliburton, Mike Conley, Bam Adebayo, Josh Hart, and Damian Lillard making up the second team.
Amid reports that Shaquille O’Neal will be part of a new ownership group taking control of Napoli Basket, the Italian team issued a statement shooting down those rumors and referring to them as unfounded.
2025 has been the year of the NBA playoff comeback so far. Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and Jeff Zillgitt and Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today take a closer look at how teams keep coming back from deficits of 20 or more points this spring.

Thunder Notes: SGA, Holmgren, Defense, Caruso

May 9th, 2025 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

After blowing a late lead in Game 1 of their second-round series vs. Denver, the Thunder became the first team to win at home in any of the conference semifinals on Wednesday. As Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes, Oklahoma City dominated Game 2 from start to finish, setting a franchise record for points in a playoff game en route to a 149-106 win. Their 48-point lead after three quarters was the fourth-largest margin entering the fourth quarter in NBA playoff history, MacMahon adds.

As detailed by both MacMahon and Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander set the tone for the Thunder and has found his groove after getting off to a slow start in the postseason. The MVP frontrunner made just 35.3% of his field goal attempts in his first three games against Memphis, but has knocked down 57.1% since then, averaging 35.0 points per game over his last three outings.

On Wednesday, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points in just 30 minutes, converting 11-of-13 field goals and registering a staggering +51 plus/minus mark. He told reporters after the victory that his team knew what was at stake and “came out desperate” to open Game 2, but he added that he otherwise hasn’t changed his approach in recent games.

“I feel the exact same,” the Thunder star said. “I feel like I’m getting to where I want to go. I don’t worry about makes and misses. It’s all about the process for me. I try to put myself and my teammates in the best position I can every possession down offensively and defensively. And wherever that takes me, wherever that takes our team, I’m happy with as long as I make the right decisions night in and night out, play in and play out. That’s what I’m focused on more than the makes and misses. So I feel just as confident as I did those two games where I couldn’t make anything.”

Gilgeous-Alexander also downplayed the notion that winning by 43 points on Wednesday gives the Thunder the momentum or the upper hand as the series shifts to Denver.

“Winning by a hundred or winning by two, it’s still 1-1, and I think that’s very important,” he said. “Like I said, especially in the series, every game’s going to look different. People are going to make adjustments. It’s going to be a different crowd, a different feel. You’re going to start hot; you’re going to start cold, everything’s going to look different. It’s important to turn the page.”

Here’s more on the Thunder:

Big man Chet Holmgren missed two late free throws in Game 1 that opened the door for Aaron Gordon‘s game-winning shot. After bouncing back in Game 2 with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and a +34 mark in 26 minutes, Holmgren explained that recovering from a pair of major injuries since he entered the NBA has helped give him the right mindset and perspective to deal with that sort of on-court adversity, per Rylan Stiles of SI.com. “I had five screws and a plate put in my foot, shattered my hip in basically six places,” he said. “I was thinking about it. I was like, if I could pick one of those three, missing a couple free throws is the least of your worries. Obviously, it hurts knowing what was on the line. Playoff game, you never want to lose. But, you also can’t be afraid to fail, I guess.”
Responding to Gordon’s gripes about how Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is being officiated so far in the series, Holmgren said on Friday that he believes both teams are getting a fair whistle (Twitter video link via Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman). “I feel like when we’ve fouled, we’ve been called for fouls. When they foul, they’ve been called for fouls,” he said. “… I feel like it’s a physical game of basketball. That’s what the playoffs is. We just have to come out and be ready for that.”
While the Thunder racked up 149 points in their Game 2 win over Denver, it’s their smothering defense that has become their calling card, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who spoke to several of Oklahoma City players about how the defense became the NBA’s top-ranked unit. Alex Caruso referred to OKC’s defense as its “superpower,” while Isaiah Hartenstein noted that the team “doesn’t really have a weak link” on that end of the court. Caruso also pointed out that the Thunder’s defensive success is fueled to some extent by the competitiveness of their individual defenders. “We haven’t said it out loud, but iron sharpens iron,” he told ESPN. “You see somebody competing at a certain level, playing at a certain level, you have no choice but to match that. And if you don’t, you get left behind.”

Northwest Notes: Gordon, Nuggets, Holmgren, Hardy

May 7th, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Nikola Jokic is the Nuggets‘ most valuable player and Jamal Murray is the guy the team is most likely to turn to when it needs a big late-game basket. But Aaron Gordon has earned the nickname “Mr. Nugget” and become one of the most popular players in Denver, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic.

After Gordon made his second game-winning shot of the postseason on Monday against Oklahoma City, interim head coach David Adelman referred to the veteran forward as the “soul” of the team, as did Jokic, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required).

“He probably doesn’t get as much respect as he deserves,” Jokic said after Denver’s upset victory in Game 1. “But I think he doesn’t need it.”

“He is a Denver Nugget, man,” Adelman said. “He’s a hero again. But I’m looking at the 14 rebounds. I’m looking at the 22 points. I’m looking at the two free throws he made before the (game-winning) three-pointer. I’m looking at the defense he played and the leadership he showed. It’s just really cool to see him have two (playoff) moments that nobody will ever forget.”

As Durando writes in a separate Denver Post story, Gordon’s postseason contributions are all the more impressive due to the fact that he’s risking re-injury after right calf strains cost him 31 regular season games. He has played through soreness in that calf for much of the season, including in the playoffs, per Durando. According to Adelman, the Nuggets likely would’ve been resting Gordon down the stretch if the club hadn’t been fighting for playoff position all the way up to game 82.

“He’s taking a chance every time he explodes and jumps,” Adelman said ahead of Denver’s second-round series. “We know what he’s doing for our team. We know that there’s a risk there.”

We have more from around the Northwest:

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, there’s a sense in Denver that the club’s unexpected late-season organizational changes – firing head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth – have been a motivating factor for the Nuggets, who are determined to prove they’re not a team in disarray. “I think with (Adelman) at the helm now, people think we’re a wounded animal,” backup center DeAndre Jordan told Amick. “We let go of our coach and our general manager with three games left in the season. I mean, if I were on another team, I would think the same thing, too. But I think this has been a great thing for us to bond together. We’ve become stronger and more resilient.”
It was a tough Game 1 for Chet Holmgren on Monday vs. Denver. The Thunder big man got into foul trouble, missed two late free throws that would’ve put the team up by three points, and was a -14 in his 28 minutes. However, his teammates have full confidence in the 23-year-old’s ability to quickly put that performance behind him, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “He’s in there for a reason,” guard Alex Caruso said. “He was in there in Game 3 (of the first round) when he had 25 (points) in the second half when we had the comeback against Memphis. And he was in there late in the game in Game 4 against Memphis to close out that series. We trust him. We believe in him. There’s a reason that (head coach) Mark (Daigneault) puts him out there, and I felt confident when he caught the ball to go shoot the free throws.”
The contract extension that Will Hardy signed with the Jazz earlier this week was in the works for almost a year, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who says the organization is very pleased with the way that Hardy has been able to develop young players like Walker Kessler, help Lauri Markkanen become an All-Star caliber player, and handle veterans who have had to spend multiple years on a losing team.

Thunder Notes: Historic Comeback, Caruso, Holmgren, SGA

April 25th, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Rory Maher

After two lopsided victories in their first-round series against Memphis, the Thunder found themselves in a major hole in the first half of Game 3. Oklahoma City trailed by as many as 29 points and entered halftime down 26.

“In the moment, it sucks,” All-Star Jalen Williams said, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. “It’s not something that you want to make a habit of. But we also have extreme confidence in how we can play to kind of turn the tide.”

Aided in part by Ja Morant‘s hip injury, the Thunder were relentless on defense in the second half, forcing the Grizzlies into more turnovers (13) than made field goals (nine). Alex Caruso was at his best during that stretch, recording four steals in the final 14 minutes, Lorenzi adds.

“Our defense is our superpower,” Caruso said. “When we’re locked in on that side of the ball, we’re an unstoppable force.”

The Thunder ultimately pulled off the second-largest comeback in NBA playoff history, notes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. It was also the first time in playoff history that a team overcame a 26-point halftime deficit, according to Lorenzi.

Here’s more on the Thunder, who now hold a 3-0 lead on Memphis ahead of Saturday’s Game 4:

While much of the post-game focus was on Caruso’s excellent defensive work, head coach Mark Daigneault didn’t view his performance as out of the ordinary (Twitter video link via HoopsHype). “He changes every game he’s in,” Daigneault said of Caruso. “He’s like that every night, he’s like that in a preseason game, he’s constantly engaged in the competition and the size of the stage or the pressure of the game doesn’t impact him at all.”
In a column that was publishd prior to Game 3 and looks prescient in retrospect, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman explained why he believed Caruso was the “perfect playoff player” for Oklahoma City. “I feel like I’m one of the great competitors in this league,” Caruso said Tuesday. “I might not be in the top half, quarter, wherever you want to put it talent-wise… but as far as competing and putting it all out there and trying to win, I’m in the elite group of that.”
Big man Chet Holmgren finished the first half with one point and missed all four of his field goal attempts, but he caught fire in the second half, scoring 23 points, including 16 in the third quarter, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN relays. “Mark changed the trajectory of the game,” Holmgren said. “Trusted me in calling a play for me to bomb one at the half after the s— storm I put up in the first half. Credit to him for that. Once I saw one go in, I felt good.”
While the Thunder are in good shape heading into Saturday’s contest, star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has surprisingly struggled with efficiency thus far in the playoffs. In a detailed film breakdown, Rylan Stiles of SI.com says Gilgeous-Alexander has simply been missing shots he normally makes and isn’t worried about how he’ll fare for the rest of the postseason.

Thunder Notes: Hartenstein, Holmgren, Dort, SGA, Williams

April 19th, 2025 at 7:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault didn’t get to use his twin tower lineup as much as he expected this season, but he’s seen enough to have confidence in it heading into the playoffs, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

After getting pounded on the boards in a second-round series loss to Dallas last year, Oklahoma City made finding another big man an offseason priority. The club was able to land Isaiah Hartenstein on a three-year, $87MM contract in free agency and planned to team him with Chet Holmgren to form a combination that could match up with the more physical teams in the West.

However, Hartenstein broke his left hand during the preseason and didn’t play his first game with OKC until November 20. By that time, Holmgren had suffered a fractured hip that kept him sidelined until early February. They were active on the same night only 20 times this season and logged 316 minutes together. It’s a small sample, but Daigneault liked how they looked.

“It would be more uncomfortable if it was like really stalling,” he said. “If it wasn’t getting off the ground or if it was low-impact or if it was clunky, then that’s a harder decision of (how much to use it). But it was good right away in unpredictable ways.”

The combination was effective on both ends of the court — Slater notes that the Thunder posted a 122.9 offensive rating and 109.4 defensive rating when they played together and outscored their opponents by 96 points. Their next challenge will be a matchup with 7’4″ rookie Zach Edey and Jaren Jackson Jr. in a first-round series against Memphis.

“The offensive flow that we’ve been able to maintain with two seven-footers on the floor (is key),” Daigneault said. “It’s something that always concerns you when you go super big. But I think it speaks to how skilled those guys are. They’re both in their own way very dynamic.”

There’s more from Oklahoma City:

In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Luguentz Dort talked about his chances of earning Defensive Player of the Year honors. Dort admits that defensive excellence can be difficult to quantify, but he hopes voters take the Thunder’s 68-win season into consideration. “This is just not numbers,” he said. “You got to be able to watch the games and see exactly what the players are doing on the court. I don’t think I have the most steals or the most blocks or whatever. But I know that every time I have a matchup, my matchup is in hell. So, it is hard to (define) because if you just go based on the numbers, I probably won’t be in a conversation. But if you watch the (other) games and watch our games the whole season, you could see that I take a lot of pride (in defense).”
Playoff inexperience is the major question facing the Thunder after a dominant regular season, notes Mark Medina of Athlon Sports. Players don’t believe that will be an issue, and they’re taking inspiration from last year’s early exit. “We have a ‘whatever it takes’ mentality,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “The goal is to win. However you get it done, it’s a step in the right direction. It’s going to look ugly at times. It’s going to look pretty at times. We want to be a team that gets it done, regardless.”
The playoffs present an opportunity for Jalen Williams to earn more national recognition, per Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. Williams has only been in 10 postseason games, but he’ll be counted on to help Gilgeous-Alexander carry the scoring load.

Thunder Notes: Records, Wiggins, Caruso, SGA, Hartenstein, Presti

April 3rd, 2025 at 10:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder won’t be able to match the 73-win record set by the 2015/16 Warriors, but they’re putting the finishing touches on one of the best regular seasons in NBA history, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

As Slater details, the Thunder’s point differential of +13.4 points per game would be an NBA record. They still have a shot at setting a new single-season record for net rating as well — their +13.2 mark is just shy of the +13.4 record set by the 1995/96 Bulls. Oklahoma City also established a new high-water mark for the best cross-conference record in league history by going 29-1 against Eastern Conference opponents and has tied the NBA record for most double-digit wins in a season (50).

Even though they’ve long since clinched the top seed in the Western Conference and have started to get their key players some rest, the Thunder continue to roll — they haven’t lost since March 10 and a 70-win season remains in play with six games left on their schedule. Still, as Slater details, Oklahoma City’s players appear unimpressed by their regular season accomplishments, stressing that a title is the only thing that matters to them.

“We don’t care not one bit about any of those records,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said this week. “They mean something, but in the grand scheme, they don’t. We’re after one thing and one thing only. That’s what’s on our mind. Everything else we don’t care about.”

“It’s cool,” Jalen Williams added. “That stat stuff is more for y’all than it is for us. That’s my only answer. Sorry.”

Here’s more out of OKC:

Aaron Wiggins, who has missed the past five games with left Achilles tendinitis, isn’t on the injury report for Friday’s game in Houston and should be available to make his return, tweets Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. Alex Caruso also isn’t on the injury report after sitting out Wednesday’s win over Detroit due to left ankle soreness.
In addition to being knocked out of last year’s NBA playoffs in the second round, Gilgeous-Alexander suffered an early exit at the Paris Olympics with Team Canada. Sam Amick of The Athletic takes a closer look at how those two tough losses are driving the MVP frontrunner — and how they remind him not to take any opportunities for granted. “Like (Thunder head) coach (Mark Daigneault) said a couple weeks ago, this group that we have today could be the best group of players I ever play with,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You think, ‘Oh, we’re all 25 or under, so we have a whole runway in front of us.’ But you never know what happens.”
In a wide-ranging interview with Rylan Stiles of SI.com, big man Isaiah Hartenstein explained why the Thunder’s culture helped convince him to sign with Oklahoma City last year, expressed respect for general manager Sam Presti, and shared his impressions of playing alongside fellow big man Chet Holmgren.
Presti is clearly the NBA’s Executive of the Year and deserves to be honored with that award this spring, Stiles argues in a separate SI.com story. In Stiles’ view, Presti has built the deepest roster in the NBA, with last offseason’s signing of Hartenstein and trade for Caruso making this season’s version of the Thunder even more formidable than last year’s team.

Northwest Notes: Thybulle, Hartenstein, Holmgren, Jazz, Edwards

March 17th, 2025 at 8:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Matisse Thybulle played only six minutes in his season debut with the Trail Blazers on Sunday but he made a major impact. He blocked a three-point attempt by Orlando Robinson as time expired in the three-point victory, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian notes.

“It was fun,” Thybulle said. “My head was spinning a bit, got tired a lot faster than I was expecting, but felt like I fit in well. Felt like I was able to contribute early, which was something I was hoping to be able to do. And then, was able to recover from a mistake late in the game and save it.”

Head coach Chauncey Billups was thrilled to have the defensive stalwart back in action. Thybulle had been sidelined by knee and ankle injuries for most of the 2024/25 season.

“Obviously, you saw how he hadn’t played all year, and game’s on the line, you see, I trust him,” Billups said. “Just throw him out there.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Thunder‘s big man pairing of Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren was particularly effective in a win over Milwaukee on Sunday. Hartenstein had 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Holmgren had 16 points and eight rebounds. They also combined for six assists. “It’s improved over the course of games we’ve done it. … I think early on, when we were playing that lineup, it was against perimeter oriented teams, which can skew your impression of it,” head coach Mark Daigneault said, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). “(Sunday) we used it against a team it was impactful against.”
The Jazz were fined $100K last week for holding out a healthy Lauri Markkanen, so they tried a new tanking strategy against the Raptors on Friday, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Instead of making Walker Kessler inactive, the Jazz chose to dress the rotation center but not play him. Markkanen sat the entire second half while Collin Sexton played only 20 minutes and was held out during crunch time. That trio started against a much better opponent, the Timberwolves, on Sunday and the Jazz lost by 26 points.
Anthony Edwards, who was named Western Conference Player of the Week, has improved as a facilitator and The Athletic’s Fred Katz details his development in that aspect. Edwards has especially gotten better in reading defensive coverages and exploiting its weaknesses, Katz notes.

NBA Looking At Thunder, Sixers For Possible Player Participation Policy Violations

March 14th, 2025 at 9:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA is investigating the Thunder and the Sixers for possible violations of the league’s player participation policy, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.

According to Charania, the NBA is looking specifically at the Thunder’s March 7 game vs. Portland, in which the team sat its entire starting five: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (rest), Chet Holmgren (lower leg contusion), Jalen Williams (wrist sprain), Luguentz Dort (patellofemoral soreness), and Isaiah Hartenstein (nasal fracture re-injury). Cason Wallace (right knee contusion) also missed the game, which wasn’t part of a back-to-back set.

While Holmgren sat out Oklahoma City’s March 5 contest too, the other five players who missed the Portland game were available on both March 5 and March 9.

Gilgeous-Alexander is the only Thunder player who meets the “star” criteria as defined by the player participation policy, but there’s a precedent for teams being penalized for sitting several “non-star” starters in the same game — the Nets were hit with a $100K fine last season for making a similar move.

Still, Rylan Stiles of SI.com (Twitter link) and Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) are among the reporters to question the necessity of investigating the Thunder for their approach to the Portland game, given that they’ve had a strenuous post-All-Star schedule and still won the game by 18 points. Marks suggests that the league should be focused more on lottery-bound teams who may be flaunting the policy in an effort to improve their draft odds.

The Jazz, one such lottery-bound team, were fined $100K two days ago for a player participation policy. The Sixers, who have also seemingly pivoted to prioritizing lottery position in recent weeks, ruled out 11 players for Friday’s game vs. Indiana.

According to Charania, the league is looking at the Sixers due to the recent absences of Paul George (knee/back/finger) and Tyrese Maxey (back/finger). George has missed the past five games, while Maxey has been out for the past six, though head coach Nick Nurse said after Friday’s loss that Maxey should return at some point during Philadelphia’s upcoming six-game road trip (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports).

The league may determine that the absences of George, Maxey, and the rest of the inactive Sixers players are legitimate, but if the club is determined to have violated the player participation policy, it could face a fine of $250K. That’s the amount for a second violation, and the 76ers already received a $100K fine earlier this season.

Thunder’s Chet Holmgren Set To Return On Friday

February 6th, 2025 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

Even if the Thunder don’t complete any more trades before Thursday’s deadline, they’re set to make a major addition to their lineup this week.

Big man Chet Holmgren, who has been sidelined for nearly three months due to a right iliac wing fracture, is no longer on the team’s injury report and is expected to make his return on Friday vs. Toronto, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Holmgren suffered the injury, a form of pelvic fracture, on November 10 when he fell awkwardly on his side after trying to contest an Andrew Wiggins shot at the rim. Oklahoma City announced the following day that he would be reevaluated in eight-to-10 weeks.

The Thunder followed up in mid-January to say Holmgren’s next exam would come in approximately three-to-five weeks. Exactly three weeks after the team made that announcement, the 2024 Rookie of the Year runner-up will reportedly be back on the court on Friday.

Holmgren averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 29.4 minutes per game across 82 starts in his first full NBA season in 2023/24 after he missed his entire ’22/23 rookie year due to a foot injury.

He had gotten off to an even better start this fall, averaging 18.2 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 2.9 BPG in 28.9 MPG across nine healthy outings, with a .519/.400/.776 shooting line.

Although the Thunder, who hold a league-best 40-9 record, hardly needed additional reinforcements, Holmgren’s return is an exciting development for the club, which still hasn’t gotten a chance to see the 22-year-old play alongside fellow big man Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC’s big free agent addition of the 2024 offseason. Hartenstein was recovering from an injury of his own at the start of the season when Holmgren was healthy.

Chet Holmgren Progressing, Will Be Reevaluated In 3-5 Weeks

January 17th, 2025 at 6:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Thunder big man Chet Holmgren is continuing to make progress in his recovery from a right iliac wing fracture, according to the club, which announced on Friday that he’ll be reevaluated in approximately three-to-five weeks.

Holmgren suffered the injury, a form of pelvic fracture, on November 10, with Oklahoma City announcing the following day that he would be reevaluated in eight-to-10 weeks. That was approximately nine-and-a-half weeks ago, so an update from the team had been expected around this time.

The Thunder have handled Holmgren’s absence admirably, posting a 26-4 record without him. For most of that time, they’ve started Isaiah Hartenstein at center in place of Holmgren, though Hartenstein has missed some time with health issues of his own — he’s currently on the shelf with a left soleus strain.

Oklahoma City still hasn’t gotten a chance to see Hartenstein, the club’s top offseason free agent addition, on the court at the same time as Rookie of the Year runner-up Holmgren, since the two big men have yet to be healthy at the same time. There’s still hope that will happen at some point before the end of the regular season, but Holmgren’s recovery process will take at least a few more weeks.

Before getting injured in his 10th game of the season, Holmgren had averaged 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks in 28.9 minutes per game across nine outings, with a .519/.400/.776 shooting line.

In other Thunder injury news, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to be a game-time decision on Friday vs. Dallas due to a sore right wrist, tweets Christian Clark of The Athletic.

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