Chet’s Next Steps
Ah, what could have been. Chet Holmgren turned in one of the better rookie seasons in recent memory, but he still fell short of taking home the Rookie of the Year honors, especially since down the stretch of the regular season, the Spurs sensation Victor Wembanyama settled into a nice groove and passed him by in the final few months. That being said, Holmgren was an integral part of the Oklahoma City Thunder throughout the season and into the playoffs. The team fell short in the second round against the Dallas Mavericks, but to most fans and experts, the season was still a wild success. However, many of the players on the roster have a lot of development still ahead of them if the OKC Thunder are to reach their lofty goals; namely, an NBA Championship. Holmgren figures to be one of the most important players on the team next season, and here’s how he can take strides to help the team as much as possible.
Playmaking Out of the Pick-and-Pop
Image via CBS Sports
Holmgren’s ability to spread the floor with his shooting helped the Thunder offense flow with much more ease than in years past. He allows the team to play a five-out style, creating wider driving lanes when Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander need to go downhill. His drawbacks come when he needs to attack a closeout and drive the lane himself. He can score well enough thanks to his silky-smooth moves around the basket, but his passing decisions in those situations need to become better. His nearly 1 to 1 assist-to-turnover ratio is not bad for a center, but Thunder head coach Mark Daignault has referred to him reverently as a potential point center through which the offense can run, taking pressure off of Gilgeous-Alexander. He will naturally improve given time and experience, but it should be a point of emphasis for him moving forward.
Image via NBA.com
Partnering Along With a Traditional Big
Holmgren was the everyday starting center for the OKC Thunder when he was healthy, and that seems to be his spot moving forward, despite the team signing former New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein this offseason on a three year, $87 million contract. Assuming team health, this will be the first time where Holmgren will share the court with another paint-oriented player who can’t stretch the floor. Ironically, the floor being a bit more clogged should help Holmgren play even better. Hartenstein can physically match up with the larger centers around the league that Holmgren struggled with, allowing Chet to roam as a shot blocker. When sharing the floor with Hartenstein, Holmgren probably won’t be setting as many screens, but some potentially nasty big-to-big pick and rolls with him as the ball handler could help him unlock the next level of his game.
Image via Sports Illustrated
Buoying the Offense Without His MVP
The Thunder were deep last season, and they were good all the way around. One of the lingering and underlying issues that reared its ugly head during the postseason was the fact that they struggled whenever Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat on the bench. Daignault tried to compensate for this by filling the minutes with both Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, but OKC still lost in those minutes. Holmgren taking a step forward offensively seems to be the obvious fix to the problem because at his peak, Holmgren has the ability to make the players around him better with his versatility. His give-and-go game with Isaiah Joe had its bright points last season and he meshed really well with Jaylin Williams when bench lineups were on the floor. The OKC Thunder have one of the highest ceilings in the entire NBA and if they are going to reach their full potential and take home the franchise’s first Larry O’Brien trophy, Holmgren will be a major reason why.
