Chet Holmgren’s 2025-26 season was good enough to put him in rare company. The problem is that by the time Oklahoma City’s year ended, the loudest memory for a lot of people was how rough things got against San Antonio.
That’s a little unfair to Holmgren, who put together the best season of his career and stacked up the kind of awards that usually announce a player as one of the league’s top big men. In his third NBA season, he made the All-Star team, earned All-NBA and All-Defense honors, and finished second to Victor Wembanyama in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The numbers tell the same story. Holmgren averaged 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 55.7% from the field and 36.2% from 3-point range.
He also played well through the first two rounds of the postseason. But the Spurs changed the tone of the conversation.
Against San Antonio, Holmgren was limited to 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, an assist and 1.1 blocks per game, and his shooting dipped to 51% from the field and 27.3% from deep.
Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals was the harshest snapshot of all. Holmgren finished with four points and four rebounds, and he went 1-of-2 from the field. It was a quiet ending for a player who had spent most of the season building a case as one of Oklahoma City’s most important pieces.
The NBA’s official social media account recently put some of that back in front of the public, spotlighting Holmgren’s defensive work from last season. The league’s post read:
“CHET HOLMGREN: DEFENSIVE FORCE🖐️ Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team🖐️ 1.9 blocks per game (2nd in NBA)🖐️ 12.4 Defensive Win Shares (led NBA)Celebrating OKC's anchor for NBA Defense Week! pic.twitter.com/ihMfIDALRp”
That’s the version of Holmgren the Thunder would rather have people remember: the anchor of a defense that was among the league’s best. Even with Lu Dort traded away, Oklahoma City should still be one of the NBA’s strongest defensive groups, and Holmgren is a huge reason why.
None of that erases the matchup problem he ran into with San Antonio. Holmgren’s struggles against the Spurs and Wembanyama were obvious, and Wembanyama’s size - along with a similar athletic profile - makes him a tough assignment for the Thunder big man.
If these teams meet again in the playoffs, Holmgren’s production against San Antonio will matter. The Spurs are getting more experienced, and Oklahoma City will need Holmgren to be more than just serviceable in that matchup.
He does not need to be Wembanyama, and nobody should expect him to dominate that battle. But Holmgren has already shown he can still swing a game against the Spurs. In Oklahoma City’s Game 5 win, he posted 16 points, 11 rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal while shooting 6-of-9 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 at the line.
In Other News...
Thunder Face A Painful Choice As The West Gets Tougher
The Thunder have spent the past three regular seasons setting the pace in the Western Conference, but this one may ask something different of them. With roster changes and injury concerns now part of the conversation, Oklahoma City is staring at a familiar dilemma with a less familiar twist: whether to keep chasing the top seed or start thinking more carefully about the long game, especially with the 2026-27 playoffs in mind.
San Antonio has emerged as one of the teams capable of pushing that race, and the West is no longer a place where the Thunder can assume the path will stay clear. For Oklahoma City, the bigger issue may not be who finishes first in the standings, but how much wear the roster absorbs along the way, with availability and minutes management likely to become central as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Isaiah Hartenstein Gets Real About Thunder Losing Lu Dort
The Thunders offseason cost-saving moves have already changed the feel of a championship roster that had just settled into place, and Isaiah Hartenstein is among the players left to process it. Oklahoma City moved on from three rotational pieces from its 2025 title team as it worked to keep its books in order for the 2026-27 season, even as Hartenstein agreed to a long-term deal and took less money to help the club stay under the salary cap.
Among the departures, Lu Dorts exit hit especially hard. Hartenstein said he was sad to see Dort go, even while acknowledging how quickly the NBA can turn into a numbers game, and he now heads to the Atlanta Hawks as the Thunder try to keep their core intact around the pieces still in place. [Read more 🡒]
Buddy Boeheims Thunder Role Says A Lot About OKCs System
Buddy Boeheims first season tied to Oklahoma City showed exactly how the Thunder like to use the fringes of their roster. After signing a two-way deal, he spent most of his time in the G League, where his value came from floor spacing and being a steady, veteran presence around younger players. In a system built on development and flexibility, that kind of role matters even when the minutes at the NBA level are scarce.
For Boeheim, the bigger question is what comes next, and it sounds like the door remains open with Oklahoma Citys G League affiliate. The Thunder have made a habit of squeezing value from players who can fill a very specific lane, and Boeheims season fits that model neatly. His year ended with a final grade that reflected modest on-court production, but also a clear understanding of where he fits in the organizations broader pipeline. [Read more 🡒]