Chet Holmgren was healthy, active and on the court in the Western Conference finals. He still looked like a shell of himself, and the Oklahoma City Thunder need to work with him this summer so it does not happen again.
Holmgren Against Victor Wembanyama
Holmgren repeatedly lost the ball when he faced Victor Wembanyama with the ball in his hands, and he sometimes fell to the ground in those spots. Wembanyama was in his head, and Holmgren was not effective when Oklahoma City needed him to hold up under pressure.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had to do everything when the going got tough. With Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell sidelined, the Thunder leaned harder on SGA while Holmgren stayed on the floor but did not deliver the kind of presence they needed.
Thunder Summer Priority
The issue is not whether Holmgren can get on the court. He already did that in the Western Conference finals. The problem is that Oklahoma City wants to test his mentality this offseason and strengthen his mind so he is never mentally taken out of a series again.
That makes the summer work more specific than a normal offseason reset. Jared McCain and Cason Wallace are part of the broader Thunder conversation, but the focus here stays on Holmgren because the playoffs showed the gap the team has to close before another postseason run puts him in the same spot.
