Thunder receive good health-related news amid Chet Holmgren injury turmoil

While Chet Holmgren's hip ailment may have been the biggest health-related news Oklahoma City has been hit with so far this season, the Thunder have been dealing with the injury bug since the early months of summer.

From recent lottery-selected guard Nikola Topic being ruled out for his rookie campaign after undergoing successful ACL surgery to splashy free agency pick-up Isaiah Hartenstein fracturing his left hand during the second-to-last game of the preseason and, in turn, being shelved ever since OKC has endured quite a few hardships in the health department during the 2024-25 calendar year.

Now, recent reports that Holmgren sustained a right iliac wing fracture that will require eight to ten weeks to recover seem to serve as the spoiled cherry on top of a rancid Ice Cream Sunday and, in turn, could harshen optimism among the club's fanbase, especially now that this comes off the team losing two games in three nights.

However, hope appears to be right on the horizon for the Thunder, as many of their already sidelined talents will be returning back to action in the near future. A great reminder of this came soon after Holmgren's grueling news surfaced, as an updated injury report ahead of Monday's bout against the LA Clippers showed that previously injured veteran Kenrich Williams was nowhere to be found.

Kenrich Williams not on Thunder injury report ahead of Clippers game

Back in mid-September, the seventh-year forward underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure in his right knee that held him out for the entirety of the preseason and during Oklahoma City's first 10 games.

Periodically throughout his absence, clips of him working out with the team would surface, strengthening confidence that he'll make a full recovery and be back on the hardwood in no time.

This past weekend, it was revealed that the organization had even sent him down to their G League affiliate, the OKC Blue to have him take a step further in his increased workload by participating in a practice before being recalled.

Now, mere hours before Monday's 7 p.m. (CT) tip-off against Los Angeles, the Thunder have officially made it clear that his return to the varsity team is imminent, as he was removed entirely from the injury report.

While he may not be of the same magnitude of player as or boast the status of Holmgren, Williams is still a quality contributor for the Thunder since his arrival back in 2020 where he's served as a consistent role player within coach Mark Daigneault's rotation, providing energy, floor-spacing, and quality defensive efforts.

Throughout his soon-to-be five-year tenure out in Loud City, the 29-year-old has posted averages of 6.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 49.9 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from deep.

Williams' return may not make up for the grave loss of Chet Holmgren, but adding him back to a frontcourt rotation that could certainly use more help and firepower is still encouraging news.