Holmgren’s Injury Calls for Other Bigs to Step Up
Oklahoma City needs to find a replacement for Chet Holmgren.
Sure he hasn’t played a game yet for Oklahoma City, but he was set to play a major role for the Thunder this season.
Holmgren’s timetable is unknown at this time, but with the significance of the injury, he may be back later rather than sooner.
Holmgren exists in the fold and opens up more opportunities for players like Aleksej Pokusevski and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. It may even give rookie big man Jaylin Williams an opportunity to get some minutes.
Robinson-Earl started most of last season at the five for OKC and could’ve seen a starting role even with Holmgren in the lineup. He struggled to find rhythm at times in the Summer League but showed promise in his time last season.
Robinson-Earl isn’t the biggest five in the league and could see most of his productivity at the four, though he still has the ability to defend other NBA bigs and make an impact for the Thunder.
Pokusevski on the other hand was in search of minutes prior to Holmgren’s injury and now has the chance to prove to the Thunder front office and coaches he’s developed more this off-season and can be a productive piece moving forward.
Pokusevski can make plays in every aspect of the game. He can finish at the rim, grab plenty of rebounds and even dish out the occasional assist. With one 7-footer down, Pokusevski has the chance to stake claim to more minutes for when Holmgren does eventually return.
Williams, unlike the other two, was set to see few to no minutes for OKC. The rookie out of Arkansas found himself buried behind more experienced players and could use some time in the G League to develop. But with one key big man out his chance of seeing minutes rises.
While it may not be the flashiest addition to the rotation, a young true center could prove vital to the success of the team at points in games.
With a season of Thunder role players fighting for their futures with the team the Holmgren injury while unfortunate presents welcome opportunities.
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