Offseason Gives OKC Thunder Center Chance to Regain Offensive Rhythm

Oklahoma City just had a championship run, but one of its top players was far from his best form.

The Thunder’s grueling playoff journey ended with an NBA championship, but the journey for next season has already begun. While the Thunder earned a championship parade around Oklahoma City, they know that they can’t waste any time in their shortened offseason if they want to have another parade next season.

One of the biggest keys to the Thunder’s championship hopes next year will be their development. Getting better contributions from role players as they continue to expand their games is great, but getting more from one star could take the Thunder to another level.

Of course, that star is Chet Holmgren. Throughout the postseason, Holmgren had no issues staking his claim as arguably the best defender in basketball, capping his elite run on that end with a league-record five blocks in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

However, the other end was often a bit of a stain on Holmgren’s performance. Although his averages in the playoffs matched his regular season, his efficiency dropped dramatically, even shooting below 30% from deep in the postseason. Not all of those issues were necessarily Holmgren’s fault.

Sure, the Thunder would’ve loved to see him have better numbers across his 23-game playoff run, but it’s important to remember that Holmgren’s regular season only spanned 32 games. After returning from his injury in February, Holmgren’s offense struggled as he learned to play alongside Isaiah Hartenstein and simply tried to help the team play winning basketball.

By focusing on his defense to finish the regular season and into the playoffs, Holmgren never got much of a chance to experiment offensively and try to find his rhythm from the early stages of the season. Holmgren powered through enough on offense to get the Thunder a championship, but by mostly scoring inside and having others consistently create for him, this offseason gives him a chance to renew his early-season leap.

In his nine full games before injury, Holmgren looked like Oklahoma City’s second-best player, averaging 18.2 points and 9.2 rebounds while shooting 51.9% from the field and 40% from three. That nine-game span also included four 20-point games. After returning from injury, Holmgren only hit the 20-point mark 12 times in 45 tries, a stark contrast from doing so in nearly half of his games to open the year.

While Holmgren obviously has earned a rest for his contributions in the postseason, his ability to expand his game and capitalize on the flashes he showed early in the season will be crucial for his ability to take a leap in 2025-26.