Chet Holmgren Credits Shai Gilgeous-Alexander For Seamless Transition
Chet Holmgren's stellar rookie season has added to the perfect storm for the Thunder. He has been the missing piece to the Thunder loaded with star talent. Jalen Williams has taken a big time jump while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a legitimate MVP contender.
The reason why this team is excelling is because of the way it was built around Gilgeous-Alexander. He empowers his teammates and makes them all better. For the Thunder's new big man, SGA is the reason why he was able to acclimate so quickly. His greatness has made the game easy for a rookie like Holmgren.
"It was one thing to watch what he did last year, but being on the court with him makes you appreciate the level of kill and ability he has," Holmgren said on Adrian Wojnarowski's podcast. "I mean he has taken it up a notch this year. From the three's, to the steals and the defense, he has taken it up another whole notch this year."
Not every high draft pick has the opportunity to play in the playoffs their first season. Usually if you're drafted to a bad team, the roster is in disarray and it's hard to find footing. Gilgeous-Alexander has been able to lead the Thunder to a 44-20 record and teach Holmgren a few things along the way.
"It's amazing to come into the league with somebody like that on your team," Holmgren said. "Not only to watch the on-court stuff and try to take different parts of his game, but also to watch how he structures his life and the way that he works and be able to follow suit in that too.
"Everything down to a T within his life is structured to be the best basketball player and the best person he can be. Being able to try and follow along in those steps is amazing coming into the league. He did a great job of not only helping me fit in seamlessly into this team, but everybody. Dub came in last year, his first year, and he took him under his wing, helped him out. I'm sure the same with (Josh) Giddey his first year."
Gilgeous-Alexander's mentorship has helped Oklahoma City's core grow by leaps and bounds. Holmgren is just another example of it. The longer this core grows together, the better the Thunder will be down the line.
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