Can Chet Holmgren Break OKC Thunder's Single-Season Blocks Record?

The Thunder big man has already shown his elite ability to protect the paint.

Dec 18, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) blocks a shot by Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City has one of the best shot blockers in the league, and he could soon stake his claim as the best in team history.

Last season, Chet Holmgren started all 82 games for the Thunder and was an integral part of the team’s rise to the No. 1 seed in the West. With All-Star hype surrounding Holmgren ahead of his second season, his best ability could push him into elite company.

While Holmgren’s ability to create for himself and do almost anything offensively as a 7-footer stood out last season, he wasted no time becoming one of the best shot blockers in the league. In his rookie year, the former No. 2 pick averaged 2.3 blocks, which ranked fifth in the NBA.

Playing all 82 games, Holmgren racked up a total of 190 blocks, the fifth-highest total in Thunder franchise history. Although four seasons are better than Holmgren’s rookie year, they all belong to Serge Ibaka.

Along with three first-team All-Defensive selections from 2012-14, Ibaka also led the league in blocks in back-to-back seasons in 2012 and 2013. Ibaka’s 2012-13 season featured his Thunder-record 242 blocks. While Holmgren is unlikely to touch Ibaka’s 3.7 blocks per game from 2011-12, Ibaka’s total block record is within reach.

Oklahoma City’s offseason addition of Isaiah Hartenstein could also provide a boost to Holmgren’s block totals. While the two will stagger the minutes at center, they will also form a twin towers duo inside. When that happens, Hartenstein will likely be inside to grab boards and be a big body, allowing Holmgren to roam and impact shots around the floor.

Those two are set to play together for the next few seasons and Holmgren should be in Oklahoma City for the better part of the next decade. With that in mind, Holmgren can set his sights higher than just the single-season Thunder blocks record.

Ibaka is also the franchise’s career leader, with 1,300 blocks in a Thunder uniform. If Holmgren simply keeps his pace of 190 blocks per season, he could become the franchise leader in around seven seasons. 

Whether Holmgren makes the leap to being the best single-season or career shot blocker in Thunder history is yet to be seen. Yet, his ability to block shots has already been a major part of the Thunder’s success, and that won’t be going away anytime soon.

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