Chet Holmgren’s frame has become one of the NBA’s favorite talking points, and this summer hasn’t done much to quiet it.
The Thunder big man stands 7-foot-1, which should be enough to make anyone take notice. But at 208 pounds, he still doesn’t exactly project the kind of brute force that sends opponents backing up before the tip. Even with workout photos and clips surfacing regularly this offseason, the visible takeaway has been the same: Holmgren still looks lean, and the questions about his strength aren’t going anywhere.
That has made his old comments on bulking age even more awkward. During an appearance on the All The Smoke podcast a few years back, Holmgren said his body work wasn’t "necessarily about gaining weight," adding that, in his view, added pounds come as one gets older.
Three years later, that idea hasn’t really shown up on the court or in the mirror. Holmgren still looks as slender as ever, and the discussion around whether he’s willing to put on real mass has only grown louder.
The criticism isn’t coming out of nowhere, either. Around the league, there are plenty of examples of players who came in light and still added muscle over time, from Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo to personal rival Victor Wembanyama. The point is clear: size can change if a player is committed to changing it.
Instead, Holmgren enters his fourth season in the league with his build still looking much the same, and the jokes about his strength haven’t faded. Even NBA 2K took a shot, ranking him at 45 overall in strength, a rating Holmgren called "crazy."
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Spain did not come away with the result it wanted against Greece, but Maras energy was one of the brighter takeaways from the night. The Thunder are still approaching his outlook with the kind of caution that usually comes with a first-year player, yet performances like this are why there remains some optimism about how he could fit when Oklahoma City gets back to work. [Read more 🡒]
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Thunder Face One Chet Holmgren Dilemma They Can't Ignore
The Thunder spent the offseason making their center room deeper and more complicated, a sign of how much the organization values having options around Chet Holmgren. Isaiah Hartenstein is back, Aday Mara arrived in the draft, and Thomas Sorber is entering the mix after a lost year, giving Oklahoma City a group that looks built as much for the future as for the present.
Mark Daigneault now has to sort out how those minutes get divided without shortchanging development or sacrificing the kind of stability a contender wants from the middle of the floor. Holmgrens versatility makes him the swing piece in all of it, and the Thunder are clearly preparing to rotate through several looks while figuring out which combinations can survive the regular season and which ones make the most sense long term. [Read more 🡒]