Chet Holmgren Will 'Prioritize Winning' Next Season For OKC Thunder

General manager Sam Presti loves Chet Holmgren's competitive edge.

May 18, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) shoots as Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) defends during the first quarter in game six of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Chet Holmgren has been known as a basketball junkie long before his days with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has been described as a player who lives and breathes hoops — someone that is always looking for a way to improve.

As Mark Daigneault said during his exit interview a season ago, last season was the worst version we’d see from Holmgren. And it was pretty dang good.

Holmgren finished second the NBA’s Rookie of the Year voting and would’ve won it every single other year if he weren’t competing against Victor Wembanyama. The Thunder big man quickly put to rest any notion of him being too skinny or being the slightest resemblance of a bust. After just one season, he’s already viewed as one of the NBA’s best and brightest big me.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti echoed Daigneault’s thoughts at his preseason press conference this week.

“The one thing about Chet I'll say is that no one is going to put more time or thought into what it is that he's doing and why,” Presti said. “He will talk basketball as long as you want to talk about it; you know what I mean? Because he's genuinely really interested in it.”

A season ago, the rising star averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He established himself as an elite defensive anchor and impressed with his ball tracking skills.

Holmgren had elite splits, too, shooting 53% from the floor, 37% from 3-point range and 79.3% from the free throw line. 

“I think I've had some quips about him in the past because he's quip worthy. I think the thing about him is he is extraordinarily ambitious but he has no agenda, and that to me is — I believe our team has benefitted from that mindset in general. Extremely ambitious, but it's really all the same agenda, which is prioritizing winning.

“I think Chet is a great ambassador for that in a lot of ways because he's going to work on all his individual stuff. He's going to have it all mapped out. But when it's game time and it's 5-on-5 and it's time to win, he's going to figure out what the team needs to do, and I think that's one of his greatest attributes.”

Holmgren’s competitiveness and high ceiling will make him great over the course of his career. His sophomore season in Oklahoma City has a chance to be a special one.

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