Is Chet Holmgren playing tonight vs Golden State Warriors? Latest injury update from OKC Thunder (Nov. 16)
The OKC Thunder are on a roll, winning back-to-back games with Chet Holmgren checking players like Victor Wembanyama and Kevin Durant. They will face the short-handed Golden State Warriors on November 16 at the Chase 1 Center in San Francisco, California, with a chance to improve their record to 8-4.
Entering the NBA as the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, the former Gonzaga Bulldog missed the entire 2022-23 season after suffering an injury trying to block LeBron James' layup in an off-season game.
Deferring his rookie year to the 2023-24 season, the 7-foot-1 forward is determined to stay healthy and be a factor in the Thunder's chase for a deeper playoff run.
So far, Chet Holmgren is contributing 15.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.1 steals a night. He is also shooting the three-point shot at an accuracy of 46.3%.
Holmgren has not missed any game so far this season and is cleared to suit up for their upcoming matchup with the Golden State Warriors, which will not have Steph Curry and Draymond Green.
Chet Holmgren is not concerned about his statistics
The rookie ladder has Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama battling for the honor of becoming the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year. With the awards voted by the media and based on the player's performance and the team's success, Holmgren is not concerned about how his numbers will look.
As the Thunder are off to a good start, the more important thing for Holmgren is to focus on the team's success regardless of what his stats look like after the game.
“I’ve always been someone who tries to win basketball games,” Holmgren said. “Making it all about myself isn’t going to help this team do that. Getting 30 points on 35 shots doesn’t make you a great scorer, you know what I’m saying? I try to make my looks count. The more efficient you are, the better chance you have to win a basketball game.”
For Holmgren, personal stats are not the basis of success in the league, and he just focuses on being an efficient player more than reaching statistical milestones.
“Early on, stats aren’t kept super accurately,” Holmgren said. “But ever since I’ve played at levels where stats have been taken accurately, I’ve always been an efficient player, always taken the right shots.”
The OKC Thunder is on its way to play three consecutive games on the road. Two against the Golden State Warriors from November 16-18, and they cap off the three-game road trip against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 19.