A healthy Chet Holmgren changes everything for the Oklahoma City Thunder. After missing his entire rookie season with a foot injury last year, Holmgren is back doing what he does best: significantly impacting the game on both ends.
In a win over Indiana on Wednesday, Holmgren scored a game-high 25! points while denying 5 shots - he reached the 25-point threshold on 9/15 shooting and without hitting a single triple…impressive work for player whose offensive potential remains highly untapped.
As fun as he is to watch on offense (got a lot of nice slips to the rim v. Indy), Holmgren’s rim protection is just insane. His anticipation, execution and IQ are all advanced compared to his experience to this point. Just notice how he places his arms in the correct position to defend & deter shots without fouling - as he continues to gain strength, 1v1 “challenges” will normally go in his favor.
OKC also received huge boosts from second-year wing Ousmane Dieng (22, 9 & 6 dimes) & rookie Keyontae Johnson (18 points off bench) as they improved their Summer League record to 2-1.