Chet Holmgren attempted two shots in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are standing behind him after playoff elimination.
The Thunder spent Day 1 of the offseason supporting Holmgren, who had a career-high season with 17.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
What happened in the West finals?
The West finals matchup between the Thunder and San Antonio Spurs was a one-sided series, with Victor Wembanyama having superior numbers.
Chet Holmgren was barely a factor offensively in Game 7, but Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised his overall performance.
Why it matters for Chet Holmgren
Holmgren made All-NBA for the first time and got his first All-Star nod, finishing second in the Defensive Player of the Year balloting behind Wembanyama.
The Thunder guard and back-to-back reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said the team needs Holmgren to succeed.
What comes next for the Thunder?
The Thunder are looking ahead to next season, with a young and talented corps, and a potential rivalry with the Spurs.
Holmgren described the Spurs as unique in terms of play style and personnel, and the Thunder will need to adapt to compete.
The outside world might have criticized Holmgren, but the rest of the Thunder disagreed, with Gilgeous-Alexander pointing to himself as the reason for the loss.
Gilgeous-Alexander had a brilliant 35-point effort in the deciding game, but described his second straight MVP season as “a failure”.
The Thunder will need to regroup and come back stronger next season, with Holmgren as a key player.
Holmgren's performance in the West finals was not what he had hoped for, but he is still a crucial part of the Thunder's success.
The Thunder's end-of-season meetings were a chance for the team to reflect on the past season and look ahead to the future.
Mark Daigneault praised Holmgren's overall performance, saying “Every minute Chet Holmgren’s been on the team, we’ve been the 1 seed in the Western Conference”.
The Thunder will need to use the offseason to improve and come back stronger next season, with Holmgren leading the way.