Chet Holmgren Dishes on Playoff Experience and Takeaways

On the Road Trippin' Podcast with NBA Veterans, Chet Holmgren dished on what he learned throughout his first postseason experience.

May 15, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) reacts to an official’s call after a play against the Dallas Mavericks during the first quarter of game five of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder made their return to the NBA Playoffs during the 2023-24 season, ripping off 57 wins in the regular season good enough to capture the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

As the Bricktown boys rattled off four straight wins against the New Orleans Pelicans, they earned their first playoff series win since 2016 and just their second sweep in franchise history. This led to the Thunder eventually fell to the Dallas Mavericks in six games with plenty of lessons to learn.

One of the youngest players on the court was rookie big man Chet Holmgren who played in all 82 games during the regular season and made it through Oklahoma City's entire playoff run to gain valuable experience.

This week, the seven-footer joined NBA veterans Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye on the Road Trippin' Podcast to discuss the value of his first playoff series and what he learned during this stint. Including, the large emotional swings in each series.

"You win a game and you are like 'we are going to the NBA Finals' and then you lose a game and you're like 'oh should I start planning for Cancun?'...It is all over the place," Holmgren said "But it is the best."

The big man talked through the value of the regular season and how that translates to the postseason.

"What I learned is how important the regular season is. Because it is the building blocks for what you are going to do in the playoffs. You are not only working to get better at things but you are working to establish things...you are establishing what works for us, what we have confidence in, what works for us and then you know what you have in your bag," Holmgren said "The people who say [the regular season doesn't matter] don't really win championships."

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