Less than 48 removed from arguably his best performance of the season, Chet Holmgren has been added to the Thunder’s injury report as questionable for this evening’s contest against Atlanta.
Following a nearly three-month injury absence, Holmgren has been eased back into action by Oklahoma City. However, the 32.1 minutes he logged in Wednesday’s victory over Brooklyn were the most he’d seen all the way back on November 6. The former second-overall pick took advantage of the opportunity, registering 22 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks on his way to an eye-popping 61.75 FPTS. A similar showing could be in store on Friday, if Holmgren can play through his new questionable tag, as the Hawks have surrendered the second-most FPTS per game to opposing power forwards in 2024-25.
If Holmgren doesn’t suit up, expect expanded roles for both Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins. With the big man unavailable in Monday’s loss to the Timberwolves, Wallace started and played 34.4 minutes, while Wiggins scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should also benefit. This season, the MVP candidate has seen his usage rate jump from 29.9% when sharing the court with Holmgren to 36.1% when the Gonzaga product is on the bench.
