Following what coach Mark Daigneault described as tough of a stretch "as we've had in a couple of years," it seems many core members of this OKC Thunder team are finally able to get a much-needed break.
Heading into Friday's bout against the Portland Trail Blazers, a total of eight players have been ruled out for the occasion, including All-Stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (rest) and Jalen Williams (wrist sprain).
Of the club's core trio, only Chet Holmgren still has an opportunity to suit up in this kick-off to their three-game road tilt, as he's currently being listed as "questionable" after having been sidelined during their last outing against the Grizzlies.
Should he wind up participating in the contest, the big man will be presented with a golden opportunity to fully showcase his worth to this Thunder team heading into the final stages of the regular season and into the playoffs.
Chet Holmgren must prove to be missing scoring punch for Thunder
Throughout this year's campaign, one of the biggest drawbacks for this Thunder team has been their lack of offensive scoring punch beyond their stars, particularly SGA.
With the point guard on the floor, OKC boasts a ridiculous offensive rating of 122.1 while scoring 123.6 points per 100 possessions. Without him, however, they plummet all the way down to a lackluster 107.5 offensive rating and 111.7 points per 100 possessions.
While these metrics are certainly cause for concern, it's imperative to understand that they have been established with Chet Holmgren being shelved for the vast majority of the campaign thus far.
After sustaining a right iliac wing fracture back on November 10, the 22-year-old went on to miss two straight months of action. Prior to his fateful fall, he was off to a blistering hot start to his sophomore season by posting averages of 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks on 51.9 percent shooting from the floor and 40.0 percent shooting from deep.
Only recently has he made his return to the court, but even with his eight games logged since being medically cleared, he's still only seen 18 total games in 2024-25.
That said, slowly but surely, Holmgren has shown flashes of his pre-injury self, especially over his last five outings, where he's had three games with 19 or more points scored. Along the way, he's been posting respectable averages of 15.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.4 blocks on 50.9 percent shooting from the field.
Now, with both of the team's top scorers already ruled out, coupled with a full four days of rest, the big man has an opportunity to take that next step in his post-injury progressions by taking on focal point duties on the offensive side of the ball.
Assuming he plays and depending on how he produces with such a task, it could help silence some doubters moving forward regarding Oklahoma City's non-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander offense.