Chet Holmgren Enjoying Arguably His Best Stretch Yet for OKC Thunder

Oklahoma City’s season had many different storylines to follow before the season began. Many surrounded the strength of the team, the potential championship hangover, and defending its NBA title against a crowded field full of talent. Later on, directly before the season began, the team’s injuries became a major talking point, as it was clear this Thunder team would have to battle an opening stretch without a handful of key players.

It’s obvious that the Thunder have answered almost every question surrounding championship aspirations and repeating, as Oklahoma City appears nearly untouchable as things stand. This Thunder team is off to a historic start and is pace to break Golden State’s record for wins in a season. With a 24-1 overall record, it almost seems unfair how good this team is playing right now.

And part of that is hidden in an underlying storyline about a core member of the Thunder’s big three. One of the main reasons that Oklahoma City has been so dominant almost two months into the season is due to Chet Holmgren’s emergence, as he has turned the corner and elevated his status into one of the best big men in the NBA.

Holmgren has always been good — don’t get it twisted. His defense has been elite, and Oklahoma City has been one of the best teams in the league ever since he joined the squad. But he finally enjoyed a healthy offseason where he was able to focus on improvements and conditioning, and it has clearly paid dividends on the offensive end. He has made this Thunder team virtually unguardable.

When Holmgren is in the lineup this season, Oklahoma City is a perfect 21-0. He’s averaging a career-high — comfortably — at 18.8 points per game while shooting 58.1% from the floor. His field goal percentage has leaped off the page from a season ago, where he was at 49.0%. He’s also shooting a career-best 39.5% from 3-point range on 3.9 attempts per game. To add to the scoring, Holmgren is averaging 8.0 rebounds a night. His defense is still elite, too, as he’s raking in 1.5 blocks and 0.6 steals per game.

Over the last six games, though, he has enjoyed arguably his best stretch in a Thunder uniform — and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. He’s averaging 21.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks on 65.8% from the floor and 55.6% from 3-point range. Obviously, Oklahoma City is 6-0 during his dominant string of games.

Last season, it was Jalen Williams who made the leap to All-Star level, collecting All-NBA and All-Defensive Team honors. This season, it’s clear that Holmgren is on the same trajectory — he has a rock solid case to bring home the trifecta, too.

Holmgren’s addition clearly unlocked this team’s potential — he was the perfect big man for this specific team. But his rise to stardom his raised the ceiling so much, and given this team the historic stamp. With Holmgren playing like this, it’s hard to envision anyone slowing down this squad at full strength. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is leading the way, but Holmgren’s ascension has given this team a lift that they didn’t even know they needed.