One Reason For OKC's 2026 Success is Chet Holmgren's Progression

The Oklahoma City big man has made huge strides between last season and this season.

Apr 5, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and center Chet Holmgren (7) laugh after a play against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City’s star big man made the jump he needed to this season. 

With the regular season coming to a close, it’s clear to see that OKC has dominated the league once again, claiming the No. 1 Seed in the West for the third year in a row. The Thunder were able to do this on the backs of multiple key players. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, for one, is looking like the MVP front-runner once again and is hoping to claim the award for the second year in a row. Jalen Williams didn’t play in many games this season, but he still produced when he did see the hardwood, averaging 17.1 points and 5.5 assists. 

However, the last member of OKC’s big three, Chet Holmgren, has made the biggest leap from last season to help the Thunder thrive. Last season was a short one for Holmgren, as he only played in 32 games during the regular season. This didn’t allow the Thunder's big man to catch his stride, as his stats slid from his rookie year. 

This season has been a different story. Holmgren has played in 69 games this year and has started in all of them. In the process, he has continued to shine, averaging 17.1 points per game along with almost nine rebounds per game. 

Holmgren has had his most proficient shooting season as well, shooting 55.7% from the floor, which ranks him twelfth in the whole league. The third-year Thunder star has also had quite the season on the defensive end, as he currently has the second-best odds to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award, only behind Victor Wembanyama. 

This is exciting for the OKC squad as its third option has only gotten better from last year’s championship run. During the Thunder’s playoff run last year, Holmgren averaged 15.2 points per game along with 8.7 rebounds. If he is able to continue to progress, then he could take the upcoming playoffs by storm. 

Holmgren has proved he is capable of big performances and showed this in his last game against the Clippers, putting up 30 points and 14 rebounds. Oklahoma City will be looking for as many of these performances as possible over the next couple of weeks as it pushes for its second championship in a row. 

Holmgren had proved himself as a valuable piece of the Thunder franchise before this year, but proved this season that his best is yet to be seen.