Ignore the stats, Chet Holmgren earned his max extension

Chet Holmgren averaged 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in this year's NBA playoffs, ranking 45th, 12th and fourth in the three statistical categories, respectively.

Granted, those numbers don't jump off the page or seem worthy of a player warranting a maximum-level contract, but Holmgren's impact on a game goes far beyond the traditional box score.

Holmgren, who led all Thunder players in plus/minus en route to the NBA title, was the team's best all-around defender through 23 playoff games. In the Finals, he held his center matchup, Myles Turner, to 26.7 percent shooting, while also slowing down perimeter-oriented players like Pascal Siakam (40.9 percent), Aaron Nesmith (20 percent) and Bennedict Mathurin (33.3 percent) with his ability to guard all five players on the floor. 

He similarly caused havoc on Julius Randle (33.3 percent), Aaron Gordon (34.8 percent), Jaden McDaniels (26.3 percent) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (30.8 percent) in the previous rounds. His most impressive feat was holding Jamal Murray, a proven playoff scorer, to 5-of-14 shooting in the second round.

To the casual fan, the highlight of Holmgren's playoff run was when he became the first player to record five blocks in Game 7 of the Finals, with three of those rejections coming in the fourth quarter. However, the Gonzaga alum was OKC's unsung hero throughout the playoffs as he forced opponents to alter their offensive scheme due to his looming presence in the paint. 

He was so good at protecting the rim that Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault could afford to play Isaiah Hartenstein sporadically, allowing him to field Alex Caruso in closing lineups. This allowed OKC to shore up its perimeter defense and shooting, which proved imperative in the win against Indiana. 

Some will point to Holmgren's injury history — he missed his entire rookie year and 50 games last season — to argue that OKC took a risk by giving the 23-year-old max money. However, freak accidents caused those injuries, and Holmgren has otherwise proved to be durable, playing all 82 games in his second year and all 33 playoff games over the last two seasons.

Holmgren is already among the top five defensive players in the league, and his offensive game is poised to blossom in the coming years. Rest assured, he'd be averaging at least 23 points on a lottery-bound team. He's been willing to sacrifice shots and points for the betterment of the Thunder, a trait that makes him a keeper.