The Atlanta Hawks need to treat the Chet Holmgren injury as a warning sign for their offseason. During the Crawsover Pro-Am, the No. 2 draft pick from this season managed to play two minutes before injuring his ankle.
While there was no timetable for his return, there was little concern as training camp is a month away, then there are few preseason games, with the season starting in about two months. This is certainly enough time for most athletes to rehabilitate an ankle injury and come back strong.
Unfortunately for the OKC Thunder, this is not the case. According to Woj of ESPN, amongst many other sources, Holmgren will miss the entirety of his rookie season thanks to a Lisfranc fracture. He joins a number of prominent rookies who have missed their whole rookie season including Joel Embiid, Blake Griffin, and Ben Simmons.
So, should Atlanta Hawks star Dejounte Murray’s rallying cry still be heard?
For those who are unsure of what the rallying cry that Dejounte Murray made, it was to his fellow NBA stars to turn out to these Pro-Ams. This means that even people who could not afford it can see them play. It is this sentiment that harkens back to his younger days when he grew up with little money.
LeBron James answered Murray’s call and the Crawsover was a huge success with the level of talent that it commanded. Unfortunately, thanks to poor court conditions, the Pro-Am was cut short in the second period. This was not before Holmgren was cut down with his injury.
The actual answer to this question is that NBA players should still play in these Pro-Ams. Players are going to try and stay in shape through the offseason and these games provide a tremendous opportunity to play against similar opposition.
A freak injury should not stop players from competing in these events. However, they need to ensure they are sanctioned by the NBA, to insure future earnings. Without this players will lose too much which will kill the concept of Pro-Ams having top players playing in them.