OKC Thunder Rightfully Believe in Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren

After being ousted by the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the takes have been flying around the Oklahoma City Thunder. It is easy to get hyperbolic, to panic and flat-out overthink what was just displayed in the NBA Playoffs. It happens every year. Each season, you see the team that has the most long-term measured approach is sitting in the best position after disappointment.

The Thunder failed to reach their goal –– another NBA Championship, attempting to be the first team since the 2018 Golden State Warriors to go back-to-back after capturing the 2025 NBA Title –– While some, including the ultra competitor in Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander categorize the entire 2025-26 campaign as a failure now, that doesn't mean any changes need to be made at a dramatic level.

Things were always going to change for Oklahoma City this offseason, no matter if they were hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy again or sitting in this same position. With contract options to decide on with defensive ace Lu Dort, starting big man Isaiah Hartenstein and veteran Kenrich Williams mixed with the murky future of Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins on the roster and the face All-Defensive guard Cason Wallace being extension eligible, the Thunder will not retain 99% of its roster again as they did a summer ago. Which is in no way tied to falling in Game 7 against the Spurs.

Though that doesn't stop an emotional response from the NBA world regarding the future of All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams and All-NBA big man Chet Holmgren, each seeing their rookie scale max contract extensions kicking in.

That is foolish, even for as dreadful as Holmgren played against the Spurs. At exit interviews earlier this week, the Oklahoma City Thunder made it clear that they still believe in their young duo.

"Any player that is not able to perform to what they're capable of in a given game or moment, and there's multiple players at any time going through that. I'm always going to look in the mirror on that. So I'll do that in this case, and if the team takes pride in the environment you create around the player and the player takes individual responsibility and everybody is kind of looking internally, that's when the magic happens in terms of guys being able to grow through those things and the team being able to absorb those things," Daigneault said. "That's what we've done for a long time, but that never ends. It's competition. There's always going to be the next adversity, the next challenge."

This is the first non-injury related challenge of Holmgren's career. He has won at every level –– High School, College and the NBA –– never spending a second of his pro career without the No. 1 seed on his resume. Even in the Thunder's only other playoff series loss, it was Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander who were applauded as doing enough to top the Mavericks back in 2024, with questions and flaws spotlighted on other players on the roster.

There is no question that today is the low point for Holmgren, where on the court, a healthy seven-footer looked shell-shocked and failed to produce to his standards on either end of the floor. Though the Thunder understands the best version of this team features the Gonzaga product. Even as he needs a bounce back.

"Chet, like we need Chet. We just need Chet Holmgren. Before Chet was here, we weren't who we are today. We couldn't have the success we have today. When he's the best version of himself, we're the best version of ourself, and it's no secret. Yeah, we need Chet. He's another guy that got all offense, defense, and All-Star. Guys like that, you need on your team," Gilgeous-Alexander said of Holmgren. "Both those guys are the same caliber. We need them to be the best version of themselves for us to be the best version of ourselves. And I have confidence that they will be that. [Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren], those guys work way too hard for them and love the game way too much for that not to be the case. I don't think for a second they won't be that. Those guys, they're a big part of the success we've built."

The Oklahoma City Thunder nearly advanced to its second straight trip to the NBA Finals, even while missing rising star guard Ajay Mitchell, its All-NBA swingman, and getting next to nothing from Holmgren. It's just one or two of those outcomes play out differently; the Thunder are prepping to battle the New York Knicks and not planning its summer.

No one understands the shortcomings of Holmgren more than the man himself. Everyone in Bricktown will tell you he is the biggest basketball junkie on the team, the hardest worker and the player you should trust the most to take this embarrassing seven-game stretch and use it as fuel this summer. That is understood, without having to say a word.

"No, I haven't talked to Chet about that. I don't -- I won't. I also don't feel like I need to. Like I didn't perform my greatest this series either. Chet won't come to me with a development plan for the summer, you know what I mean? Like Chet knows how much I care about this game and want to be the best version of myself every night I'm out there on the floor, and I know how much Chet loves this game and wants to see the best version of himself every night out there on the floor," Gilgeous-Alexander said of Holmgren. "Sometimes it just doesn't go that way, like you're not the best version of yourself, for whatever reason it is, and all you can do is use that experience to get better, which is what I've done in my career, which is what Chet's done in his career, and which I have no doubt he'll continue to do. I would say the version of Chet that we have today is the worst version of Chet from now on, and I say that literally every time I talk about Chet. He's going to get better at basketball. He's just going to be a better player because of the makeup he is, the talent he has, and I don't need to advise Chet. He'll figure it out."

It goes behind the superstar and the head coach still instilling belief in Holmgren, his veteran and arguably mentor on this roster feels the same way.

"My message to him was just be himself. We don't need him to be anybody else but himself. He's a helluva player. I have a lot of belief in Chet. He's one of my favorite teammates that I've had since being in the league, and I believe in Chet," Kenrich Williams said of Holmgren. "I think that, not just Chet, but all of us can use this series and everything that we kind of went through as motivation this summer and off-season leading up to the next season and just go into next season with that ambition, that drive to get back here again and make it be different."

The Thunder's failure to surpass the Spurs wasn't all on Holmgren's shoulders. The lack of health to its no. 2 scorer certainly hurt Oklahoma City's chances and eventually doomed them.

"Not having Dub for the whole year sucked. He's just such a unicorn out there. He's a 20-point per game scorer, guards 1 through 5. Last season he got all NBA for offense, all NBA for defense, and was an All-Star at maybe 24 years old. So losing a guy like that just hurts. He's just uber talented. Having that on the court 24/7 is just a luxury, and we just didn't have that luxury this year. Sometimes it just goes like that," Gilgeous-Alexander said of Jalen Williams.

While Oklahoma City only saw Williams play in 33 games during its 64-win regular season campaign, the Thunder's bench boss said it best: the lack of the team's second-best player hurt the team's ceiling.

"Missing him -- I've said this all along -- it impacts your ceiling. Missing Ajay Mitchell impacts your ceiling. But we've been able to maintain a really high floor. I'm proud of that. That's a huge accomplishment for the season, and it will pay dividends moving forward and will pay dividends for us this year," Daigneault said of Williams.

Now, looking ahead, the Oklahoma City Thunder have to be salivating at the ability to have a healthy season from Williams moving forward. It was clear when he stepped on the floor, especially in the first game against the Suns this postseason, that he adds a whole new dynamic to this squad on both ends of the floor.

"I'm excited about a healthy Jalen Williams. I'm excited about a healthy team and what that can look like moving forward. So that becomes the priority especially with him. It was a tough year for him, and we need to do everything we can to get him in full form, and he does too, Daigneault said of the All-NBA forward. "I give the big guy a ton of credit. He played the entire playoff run last year with a ligament tear in his wrist that no one knew about. The minute we lost the game, the sky falls on a guy like that. Didn't make one excuse, helped us win a championship. Came back this year, had the surgery, didn't start the season, and then had the hamstring stuff. He's had a very, very tough calendar year, but he stayed inside the team, stayed competitive, and we've got his back as we move through this and gets back to 100 percent."

While it is easy to take jabs at the Thunder, to discount their run to this point and to label the season a failure, the truth of the matter remains that Oklahoma City will be right back in title contention next season. They need Williams and Holmgren and still believe in its star duo.

Add us as a preferred source on Google