Chet Holmgren Needs to Be a Priority in OKC Thunder Offense

Oklahoma City must find creative ways to get Chet Holmgren involved on offense.

Nov 2, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) looks to pass against LA Clippers guard Kevin Porter Jr. (77) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City doesn’t need to change much, and that’s obvious over the first two weeks of the NBA season. The Thunder has been one of the league’s most dominant teams and it’s reflected by both the stats and the team’s overall record. The main gripe has been surrounded by strength of schedule, but OKC has dominated opponents in all seven games so far, cruising to a perfect 7-0 record.

One of the biggest reasons for the dominant start has been the Thunder’s dominant defensive attack. The effort is certainly a full team operation, but it has once again been spearheaded by Chet Holmgren, who has turned into one of the most dominant defensive centers in the NBA. Holmgren has recorded a block in every game this season and is averaging 3.1 swats per game.

After the first four games of the season, Holmgren looked like he was on the verge of becoming a dominant two-way star — and he still is. But some of the offensive success he found over the first week of the season has died down, and he’s not getting the same looks he was early on. This could be one of the main reasons the Thunder’s offense is dragging slightly behind the team’s elite defense.

Over the first four games of the season, Holmgren averaged 22.5 points per game and was a key fixture in Oklahoma City’s offense. Even when the outside shot wasn’t falling, he found a way to score and impact the game in other ways. He was active around the rim and in the mid-range game.

The last three contests, though, Holmgren has been relatively quiet on the offensive end. He has averaged just 10 points per game and hasn’t hit the 20-point mark once. He has also only taken double digit shot attempts in one game.

Granted, all three games have been blowouts, and Holmgren’s night ended early in two of the three games, but Oklahoma City can look to him to get the offense back on track. It feels like the Thunder’s offensive attack is too quick to turn away from Holmgren’s pick-and-roll ability early on. Over the first four games, it felt like a key emphasis to get him involved specifically, and now it sometimes feels like he’s going through the motions.

His ability to roll and pop opens the offense up in a big way. His mid-range jumper has been money to start the season, and Oklahoma City must work to get him to spots he feels comfortable in.

There’s not much to nitpick in a 7-0 start, but once the offense turns the corner, there’s not a true weakness this team has. Staying persistent in involving Holmgren in the offense could be key in scoring efficiently and taking the next step.

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