Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti has publicly defended center Chet Holmgren following a difficult end to his season. Despite Holmgren’s offensive struggles during a seven-game Western Conference Finals loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Presti expressed total confidence in the young star’s value and character.
Holmgren’s output dropped considerably in the series, falling from a regular-season average of 17.1 points per game to just 10.7 against the Spurs. The downturn culminated in a tough Game 7, where he was held to four points on only two shot attempts. Presti, however, focused on the entirety of Holmgren’s season. “He’s a first-time All-Star, second in Defensive Player of the Year, third-team All-NBA,” Presti stated, highlighting the center’s accomplishments.
The general manager pointed to Holmgren’s contributions that go beyond scoring. “He drives winning on so many different levels for us,” Presti said. He also credited Holmgren’s performance in the previous round as essential to the team’s deep playoff run. “We were sweeping our way to the Western Conference finals primarily because of his efforts in the [Laker] series,” Presti added.
The organization is not concerned about any long-term effects from the tough series. Presti described Holmgren as a player with immense internal drive who doesn’t require outside noise to fuel his desire to improve. “He doesn’t need people questioning him or things on the internet to drive his improvement. … He doesn’t need somebody to nudge him, he doesn’t need somebody to question him. It’s just kind of how he’s wired,” Presti explained.
