During a recent Q&A held on his personal Snapchat account, OKC Thunder big man Chet Holmgren publicly revealed what he believes to be the one thing standing in the way of him reaching his full potential: Injuries.
Asked by a fan if audiences should expect to see a "deeper bag" of tricks being displayed heading into his junior year in the association, the 23-year-old noted that he comes back from every offseason with "something I worked on."
Of course, as he acknowledged, in order to showcase any in-game advancements, ultimately, "I just gotta stay healthy," which has been something he's struggled with throughout his tenure with the Thunder.
Thunder big Chet Holmgren can become a star with health on his side
Since entering the association as the second overall pick back in 2022, Holmgren has established himself as one of the most promising and exciting young ballers the game has to offer.
The only problem is, his otherworldly potential has truly only come in flashes, as he's suited up for just 114 out of a potential total of 246 regular-season games throughout his career, a 46.3 percent availability rate.
Despite these hardships and somewhat limited action, Thunder fans have undoubtedly witnessed both the upside of his game and the elite two-way impact he can make when healthy.
After admittedly making specific improvements to his game last summer, Chet came out of the gates firing on all cylinders in 2024-25 and seemed destined for his first career All-Star nod.
Through the first nine games of the campaign, Holmgren was posting sensational two-way averages of 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.9 blocks on 51.9 percent shooting from the floor and 40.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Sadly, this level of play was short-lived due to a right iliac wing fracture sustained in the tenth game of the year against the Warriors. Though he was able to make a return to action three months later, as he revealed in his Q&A, "I didn’t quite feel like me when I came back."
His regressed numbers of 14.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks only further support this notion.
Of course, even with his depleted offensive punch after making his way back in February, Holmgren still served as a key piece to the Thunder's championship-winning core, particularly on the defensive end.
He ranked first in field goal percentage allowed (minimum 200 layup and dunk attempts defended), third in defensive rating (105.6) among consistent starters, and set the NBA record for most blocks in a Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Now, excitingly enough, heading into year three Holmgren says, "I feel like I got a lot more to show."
Considering just how well he performed when at 100 percent health over the past two years, and even while his shots weren't falling during Oklahoma City's title run, should he find a way to stave off any other serious injuries, there's little doubt that Chet will be a serious contender for his first All-Star selection, All-NBA nod, and several other end-of-season accolades in 2025-26.