With the Thunder closing in on the start of the regular season, Chet Holmgren’s shooting is shaping up to be one of the clearest swing skills on Oklahoma City’s roster.
The final preseason game is the last checkpoint before the Thunder turn their attention to opening night against San Antonio in a Western Conference Finals rematch. And while the offseason brought plenty of change, the biggest question around Holmgren is less about what happened in May and more about what comes next.
Holmgren spent the summer under a brighter spotlight after a rough Game 7 in the conference finals, but he has kept the same message: he was not going to let one matchup define his offseason. That makes sense, especially for a player who still came out of a third season with All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defensive honors on his résumé.
Now the focus shifts to how Oklahoma City reshapes its offense around him. With the Thunder losing wing depth this offseason, Holmgren is positioned to spend less time at center and more time operating on the perimeter. That makes his 3-point shot even more important than it already was.
He has never shied away from the long ball. Over the course of his career, Holmgren has settled into a pretty steady outside shooting profile: about four attempts per game and roughly 37% from deep.
If that number holds, it gives Oklahoma City a reliable floor-spacer. If the volume climbs, it gives the Thunder even more.
That matters because the team also has to make up for some of the 3-point volume it lost in the offseason. Holmgren may be asked to help fill that gap, whether it comes through his own creation or through the catch-and-shoot looks that have long been part of his game.
There’s no mystery about the shot profile. The challenge is consistency. If Holmgren keeps knocking down those open looks and stretches his range the way Oklahoma City needs, he becomes even more valuable in a lineup that may use him in a different role than before.
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Thunder Get One Last Preseason Test As Lineup Questions Linger
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It also comes with the usual preseason stakes for a contender trying to balance rhythm, roles and health in the final tuneup. The projected starters offer another clue about how both teams may line up, while the broadcast setup gives fans one last chance to watch the Thunder work through the last stretch of exhibition play and see how the preseason run has set the table for opening night. [Read more 🡒]