Adrian Wojnarowski Shares High Praise For OKC Thunder Young Core, Chet Holmgren
The Oklahoma City Thunder might be one of the most exciting basketball teams in the NBA right now. They've got a young core that's rapidly developing, but good enough already to compete with any NBA team on any given night.
With the addition of Chet Holmgren to the on-court action, the predictions and expectations continue to climb. The Thunder played its first preseason game in a matchup against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
Holmgren played 16 minutes, where he scored 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting, adding nine rebounds, one assist and one block. Though just a preseason game, Holmgren's competitiveness and approach to the game is undeniable, and pairing this with his on-court fit with the Thunder will be dangerous.
This, along with the season Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams had a year ago, has the NBA landscape raving about the Thunder, which ESPN Insider Adrian Wojnarowski got in on.
"I think there are 4 potential All-Stars in that [Thunder] lineup down the road, and maybe [Chet] Holmgren's a potential MVP candidate certainly," Wojnarowski said during an appearance live on ESPN.
Gilgeous-Alexander is an All-Star, so looking at the other three guys, they certainly have All-Star potential. Now, for the comment on Holmgren having MVP potential, it's too early to tell, but the idea of a 7-footer who can play off the perimeter and shake up a defense alone in a good way is appealing.
Holmgren's impact on winning will leave him in those conversations if he is able to fill the box score, which doesn't seem like it will be an issue.
The Thunder adding Holmgren and bringing him into the system shouldn't hold them back early but actually boost their play. His addition to the lineup will be seamless and will be beneficial to the other five guys on the court. If he can continue and steal the show moving forward, watching him push himself into All-Star, All-NBA and maybe even an MVP conversation down the road will be entertaining to watch.
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