Chet Holmgren’s Final Performance Can Catapult Him Into a Huge Season

It was a rollercoaster of a season for Oklahoma City’s big man, but it ended in eternal glory. From devastating injuries, to ramping up and playing again, and the highs and lows of the playoffs, Chet Holmgren experienced just about every emotion possible this season.

After a rough offensive stretch through the first six games in the NBA Finals, Holmgren saved his best and most memorable performance for last.

On the biggest possible stage, Holmgren contributed 18 points, eight rebounds, and a Finals Game 7 record five blocks in the Thunder’s championship clinching win. He finished up a rough shooting stretch in the Finals with a red hot day, going 6-of-8 from the floor and 1-of-2 from 3-point range.

After a serious hip injury, Holmgren didn’t have much time to recover, and knew his team needed him back in the lineup. It probably slowed him down a bit as the games wore on, especially considering how explosive he looked to start the season. But now, Holmgren is staring a full offseason of progression and rest. Having a normal summer without injuries or rehab is a luxury that he can take advantage of.

“Back to my injury, it sucked,” Holmgren admitted after the win. “If you told me this would be the end point when I got hurt, it would be easy not to quit. But this isn't guaranteed. That's why only one team gets to do it every year. 

“So I'm so happy I didn't quit. There were a lot of nights where I was out there on will power and anti-inflammatories. I'm just so happy I didn't quit and we made it, we did it. I have a long summer of getting my body right again. Man, a lot of emotions.”

If anything, Holmgren's performance should give him confidence in the star player that he's becoming. He still has rough shooting stretches and slumps, but he hasn't even played two full seasons of basketball. It's obvious to anyone who watches that he's just scratching the surface of the player he can be.

Game 7 was a pivotal moment for Holmgren moving forward, and he can build on it this offseason in a big way.