Noticeably Stronger Chet Holmgren Looks Like A Problem After Putting On Weight Ahead Of Second Rookie Season

Chet Holmgren did not play a single game during the 2022/23 NBA regular season, so a lot of fans have forgotten about the former No. 2 overall NBA Draft pick. It might sound silly to say, but it's true.

Holmgren spent all of last year on the bench, and had not graced the court since August until Monday, which, in a lot of ways, shifted the hype from the one-and-done Gonzaga star to Victor Wembanyama. 7-foot-1 Holmgren will essentially begin his rookie year alongside the 2023 No. 1 pick, who also stands above seven feet.

Both big men share the same outside concern in regard to their physiques.

At their height, there are worries about their ability to stay healthy in the NBA. Wembanyama offered a hilarious tongue-in-cheek response to the haters.

Meanwhile, Holmgren has been working his way back from injury. In doing so, he directly addressed the panic over his weight.

And to be fair — the panic was warranted. Holmgren weighed just 195 pounds upon entering the league, and suffered a lisfranc injury that put him out indefinitely.

Now, with year two (one) underway, the future of the Thunder is up 13 pounds. Holmgren is playing in the NBA Summer League in preparation for the upcoming season and weighed-in at 208 pounds before his first game on Monday. He is carrying a disernable increase in muscle mass!

Chet Holmgren's transformation.(Photos by Chris Schwegler/Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)

Come game time, as Holmgren put it, it's like the injury never happened.

If you erased my memory, I wouldn't know anything happened to my foot.

That is certainly true in the box scores thus far!

Chet Holmgren looks dominant.

The second-year rookie recorded 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in an impressive 29 minutes of action during the first game of the summer.

Holmgren was back on the court on Wednesday and scored 10 points with 11 rebounds, two steals and three blocks. His biggest block was at the rim. He's already normalizing blocking dunks!

With his new frame and full health, Holmgren is poised to play a big role for a young Thunder team that could be a sneaky group to watch in 2023. Oklahoma City has been on the rebuild for a few years now and the organization hopes that this is the year where it starts to turn a corner.