2024-25 Thunder player grades: Chet Holmgren

USA Today

a day ago

The calendar has flipped to August, which means we've officially hit the low point of the NBA cycle. The next couple of months are the driest part of the year. Everybody has headed to vacation and awaits training camp to kick off the 2025-26 season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to enjoy their NBA championship. They had a historic 68-14 regular-season campaign that eventually led to the franchise's first title with a 2025 NBA Finals Game 7 win. They'll enter next season as a favorite to be a rare repeat winner.
To reflect on their title run, Thunder Wire will conduct 2024-25 season grades for all 19 players who suited up for the squad at one point during the year. Third up is Chet Holmgren, who salvaged an injury-riddled season with a championship:
2024-25 statistics:
Advanced stats:
Significant Percentile Finishes:
Contract:
Thoughts:
With a single rim contest, Holmgren's season was flipped upside down. A nasty fall after he contested Aaron Wiggins' drive caused a season-altering hip fracture that cost the seven-footer three months. Unfortunately, for the second time in three seasons, an injury defined his campaign.
Let's rewind to the start of the season. It looked like Holmgren was well on his way to his first All-Star berth. The defense was always there. It's his bread and butter that turned him into a household name. The 23-year-old is one of the best rim protectors in the league. He altered opposing teams' shot diets. Opponents had second thoughts about driving to the basket because of him.
But then the offense looked like it had finally caught up. The first nine games of the season showcased his ability to create off the dribble. Holmgren looked more comfortable with the ball. He attempted a healthy number of free throws to boost his scoring numbers. We always theorize that's the key to upgrading yourself as a scorer.
Before Holmgren suffered a hip fracture, he had his best game of the season. He finished with 29 points and five rebounds in a blowout win over the Houston Rockets. If you're around sports long enough, there's always an eureka moment where it feels like everything has clicked together for an NBA player. That's what it felt like watching Holmgren dominate early on.
Then Holmgren's hip fracture changed everything. He missed three months. By the time he returned, it was clear he needed some time to get back into a groove and adjust from the scary fall. The last two months of the regular season saw the Thunder carefully manage the seven-footer by sitting him out every other game. The offense took a dip because of their cautious approach.
While Holmgren wouldn't enjoy the same individual heights the rest of the season, he did taste champagne in June. As the Thunder went deeper into the playoffs, the 23-year-old looked more confident. Any rust or nerves were quickly phased out. You're not afforded those in must-win scenarios. Maybe the high stakes helped him finally get over his hip injury and just play basketball.
Holmgren returned to being the Thunder's third-best player in the playoffs. He capped off a strong postseason with a record five blocks in an NBA Finals Game 7 win. While the outside shot failed him, he went back to his signature move of spinning around defenders and using his length to finish through traffic.
Despite a concerning injury history, the Thunder gave Holmgren their vote of confidence after their championship celebration. He was awarded a large contract extension that'll keep him in OKC through the rest of the 2020s decade. He's cemented his spot as a franchise cornerstone despite his missed time. That's how important a defender he is.
Moving Forward:
Health will be Holmgren's biggest obstacle. Hopefully, an entire offseason removed from his hip fracture will help him return to game speed. Being out for three months in the middle of the season takes a lot out of you. That was visible with the seven-footer. He looked slower compared to the rest of the players on the court at times.
Let's see if Holmgren can have a healthy campaign. He's only played in half of his three seasons. The upside to that is his Lisfranc injury and hip fracture are two injuries that have zero lingering effects. Neither will create a chronic injury situation where he could miss additional time because it flares up.
Now on the court, Holmgren has room to grow as a scorer. He was limited to mostly being a catch-and-shoot guy and play finisher, but nothing else. It's tough to produce when you shoot below 30% from 3 in the playoffs again, too. He needs to expand his package so he doesn't become a liability in the half-court. That happened at times in the playoffs and created lengthy conversations about whether his defense alone was worth keeping him on the floor.
Of course, it is. He's one of the best paint protectors in the NBA. The Thunder had one of the greatest defenses ever thanks to him. The insurance he provided to the perimeter defenders in case a gamble went wrong. But the 23-year-old has shown flashes of being a more competent one-on-one scorer.
Holmgren might not get afforded the same scoring possessions as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams get, but there's a real path where he can be more than just a streaky spot-up shooter and second-chance bucket. His pre-injury self saw plenty of that. He looked more polished driving to the basket. He embraced contact and saw his free-throw numbers increase.
If Holmgren can do that for an entire season, he can be a first-time All-Star. He looked to be on that path anyway, before a hip fracture ruined those ambitions. Hoping he can be a more prolific scorer isn't a daydream scenario when it happened for the first two weeks of last year.
Final Grade: B-plus