Why Kenny Atkinson Dubbed Chet Holmgren as Best Rim Protector in the NBA

From the moment Chet Holmgren stepped foot in Oklahoma City, he immediately changed the trajectory of the team. It was well-known that he’d be a project in some areas — he needed fine tuning and the ability to explore his skill set, and he’s still improving with each game. But from the very beginning, he was instantly one of the best rim protectors in the NBA. His defensive prowess, and timing, made him hard to score on.

Now that he’s doing so many other things, it can seem monotonous and mundane to point out just how good of a defender he is night in and night out. The former No. 2 overall pick is having a breakout season, averaging 18.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting 57.7% from the floor and 38.4% from 3-point range.

Against Cleveland, he completely dominated by pouring in 28 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks on 11-of-16 shooting. But even outside of the stat sheet, he impacts the game so heavily in ways that can go unnoticed by the average viewer.

Oklahoma City cruised to a 32-point win on the road against the Cavaliers, and Holmgren was a massive reason why — even outside of scoring points. Directly after the game, Cleveland’s head coach Kenny Atkinson alluded to Holmgren’s presence forcing the Cavaliers to make the wrong read. Cleveland was attacking Holmgren at the rim, but to no avail — he had an effect on every attempted shot. He derailed their offensive process.

“We got to the rim 19 times in the 1st half and we couldn’t finish,” Atkinson said. “You say it was threes, we got to the rim, we got to the paint. I’m disappointed with how we read the rim. They got Chet Holmgren in there, he’s probably the No. 1 rim protector in the league and we didn’t kick it out.

“It’s like we have to understand, you know. It was physicality and force, but I also think it was our reads and the game. We didn’t read the game right. The decision making was troubling.”

Cavs HC Kenny Atkinson calls Chet Holmgren ‘the number one rim protector in the league’ 👀

“We got to the rim 19 times in the 1st half and we couldn’t finish… They got Chet Holmgren in there, he’s probably the No. 1 rim protector in the league and we didn’t kick it out…” pic.twitter.com/xIqzp81uYw
— Cooper Jones (@CooperJNBA) January 20, 2026

It’s a good reminder that even though Holmgren’s blocks are down this season, his impact has never been bigger. Like Atkinson and the Cavaliers, many teams likely go into the matchup with the Thunder wanting to play smarter knowing who is protecting the rim. It’s tough to score on Holmgren and more efficient to make the right read and kick it out. There could definitely be game plans that emphasize avoiding Holmgren at the rim.

Recently, his blocks per game have risen and it’s starting to show up more in the stat sheet, although it still doesn’t do the impact justice. Holmgren is averaging 2.0 blocks per game — down from 2.3 his rookie season, and 2.2 a season ago. But the sustained success is what stands out, it’s not just a good stretch — this is who he is as a player.