Ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season, one rookie that seemingly everyone was looking forward to watching play for the Oklahoma City Thunder was versatile forward Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft behind the Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero.
Although he has a skinny frame that can be prone to injuries, there’s no question this kid out of Gonzaga University has the skills to play on the highest level in the NBA and could be the next young star in the league.
Unfortunately, Holmgren missed his entire first season with the Thunder due to an injury suffered before the season, which delayed the start of what could be a very promising NBA career.
However, a year later, Holmgren is back on the basketball floor and ready to show what he can do on the professional level, and he recently gave a taste of that going at superstar forward Kevin Durant during a pickup game in which he scored 31 points, according to Through The Lens via League Alerts.
Chet Holmgren scored 31 of his teams 97 points in a STACKED run full of NBA players 😤
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📹: @ThroughTheLens pic.twitter.com/dMPUsL9vs9— League Alerts (@LeagueAlerts) August 16, 2023
Holmgren made it look easy in several different ways during this scrimmage, as he was scoring on Durant often both with his shot and drives to the basket while also bringing the ball up the floor like a guard and catching lobs from Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young.
This is an incredibly small sample size and can be easily blown out of proportion, but Holmgren looks pretty good out there playing with other pros and might be a player to watch during the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season.
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