Chet Holmgren needs to be prepared to face his most difficult battle in the Western Conference Finals.
Oklahoma City will have a full week’s worth of rest, as the showdown against the San Antonio Spurs begins on Monday night.
This Conference Final is a Pivotal Moment for Chet Holmgren to Make a Statement
San Antonio has been the team that has given the defending champions the most trouble this season, beating Oklahoma City four out of the five regular-season matchups.
Providing numerous storylines, beginning with the first playoff battle between two young powerhouses for a trip to the NBA Finals. And this could be the first of many upon this impending rivalry.
This will surely be a much bigger challenge than the first two rounds for the Thunder, but the toughest task Holmgren has faced in the playoffs, and his performance, will be a swaying factor in the series.
A significant headliner will be the head-to-head matchup between Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama, who have blossomed into two of the best two-way bigs in the league, with the current and first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year and arguably the most dominant player in the game residing in San Antonio.
Wembanyama has ascended into already arguably the best player in the league, is averaging 20.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 4.2 blocks per game, leading the young Spurs to their first Conference Finals since 2017.
Holmgren, who has become one of the more underrated players in the league, finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year race this year. He is in the middle of his best playoff run, averaging 18.6 points per game on 60% from the floor, while locking down the paint himself, grabbing 9.1 rebounds, and blocking 1.8 shots per game.
OKC’s frontcourt has been a major positive this postseason, and for them to advance, that will need to continue. And the player to look at in this case is Holmgren to do so in this upcoming round.
Holmgren notably struggled in four of his regular-season matchups against the Spurs, averaging only 10.5 points and shooting just 37.5% from the floor, while grabbing 8 boards, and blocking 1.5 shots, the worst among opponents this season.
While the Thunder-Spurs matchup will be decided by more than the two young bigs, it will be crucial for players on each team not to get caught up in that matchup and continue to provide what their team needs. Holmgren shouldn’t shy away from this moment and needs to continue playing with force.
Main Image: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
