Questions surrounding Chet Holmgren’s NBA fit were widespread when the Oklahoma City Thunder selected him in the 2022 draft.
There were doubts about whether his wiry frame could withstand the league’s physicality, and before his rookie season even began, valid concerns about his durability surfaced after he suffered a Lisfranc injury that sidelined him for a year.
It was a frustrating start, but Holmgren remained unfazed. Once he finally made his debut for the Thunder, he more than lived up to the hype.
Holmgren played all 82 games in his rookie campaign in 2023–24, averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.3 blocks en route to All-Rookie First Team honors. He finished as the runner-up for Rookie of the Year, behind only Victor Wembanyama.
It seemed like the sky was the limit—until, just 10 games into his sophomore year, a hard fall resulted in a pelvic fracture that sidelined him for 12 weeks. It was the kind of setback that has derailed many promising big men—but Holmgren refused to become another statistic.
He returned right before the All-Star break, and though his numbers were initially modest, his defensive impact remained elite. Holmgren’s rim protection helped anchor the league’s top-ranked defense, with the Thunder finishing the regular season with a 106.6 defensive rating and clinching the top seed in the West.
In the playoffs, he averaged 2.8 blocks per game during the Thunder’s first-round sweep of the Grizzlies. The second round presented a tougher test against Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets, but Holmgren’s defensive versatility played a key role in Oklahoma City’s seven-game triumph.
Late in that series, the Thunder turned to Alex Caruso as the primary defender on Jokić, with Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein tasked with providing help defense. Holmgren’s length and mobility made him a disruptive interior presence, as he was quick enough to plug any gaps and disruptive enough to challenge shots or passing lanes.
Against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, Holmgren rediscovered his offensive rhythm. It was his strongest series of the postseason so far, as he averaged 18 points on 56.7% shooting across five games. He reached the 20-point mark three times—after doing so only twice in the first round and not at all in the second.
Holmgren’s brief NBA journey has already featured its share of highs and lows, but just three years after being drafted, he now finds himself with a chance to play a pivotal role on a Finals team. Against the Indiana Pacers, he’ll be called upon again—particularly for his defensive versatility in countering Indiana’s five-out offense. His ability to capitalize on mismatches will also be crucial as Indiana tends to run smaller line-ups at times to speed up the pace of the game.
The Pacers have leaned heavily on Eastern Conference Finals MVP Pascal Siakam for steady scoring throughout the postseason too, and Holmgren is expected to match up with him often. If he can help contain Siakam, Oklahoma City could be well on its way to a quick series victory–and the NBA championship.
The Thunder enter the NBA Finals as heavy favorites and carry the feel of a team touched by destiny. Holmgren’s rare blend of length, skill, and defensive instincts is a big reason why. What’s most frightening for the rest of the league though is that he is only getting started.
