OKC Thunder Need Chet Holmgren at All-Star Level to Win in San Antonio

The Thunder can't afford for their star big man to shy away from the moment.

May 20, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) reacts after a slam dunk during the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs during game two of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City has to take a game in San Antonio to make another NBA Finals, and it needs a better performance from its star big.

On Friday night, the Thunder will be back on the floor against the Spurs as they look to take Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. After splitting the first two games, the Thunder and Spurs look poised for one of the best conference finals series in quite some time, but the defending champions need some better play on the road from one of their stars.

While there have been so many things to take away from the first two matchups, the underwhelming play of Chet Holmgren has to be near the top of the list. The 2026 All-Star has looked like a shell of his usual self through the first two games as he matches up with Victor Wembanyama.

Although there was a brief period where the two had an individual rivalry, Wembanyama has already ascended into the upper echelon of the NBA world. Holmgren has still been a star for the Thunder, but he can’t continue to be ineffective against Wembanyama, even if the Spurs star has ended any semblance of the individual rivalry.

Of course, the beef is still there between the two, as can be seen by the emotion Wembanyama always seems to play with when they match up. While the Thunder don’t necessarily need Holmgren to engage in those antics, they certainly need a much better version of him than they’ve seen to begin the series.

Through two games, Holmgren is averaging 10.5 points and six rebounds while shooting 41.2% from the floor. Those numbers will need to improve substantially for Oklahoma City to take a game on the road, especially given the uncertain status of Jalen Williams moving forward.

Perhaps Williams’ potential absence or limitations can push Holmgren to play with more force and be the same impactful star he was throughout the regular season and the first two rounds. While the Thunder have some other firepower to potentially lean on and an overall depth advantage, the postseason is about the stars, so Holmgren needs to remind everyone he is one.

A poor first two games isn’t encouraging for Holmgren and the Thunder, but everyone on the team has been adamant that the big man is a fierce competitor willing to do whatever it takes to win. Thus far in his career, Holmgren has never given any reason to doubt his competitive fire, and a big showing in San Antonio would be yet another example of his willingness to do anything to come out on top.