Victor Wembanyama is widely regarded as the “alien” of the NBA due to his unique ability to excel in virtually every aspect of the game while measuring at over seven feet tall. Though many may consider him one of one, with every passing game in this year’s postseason, OKC Thunder big Chet Holmgren reminds the masses that he, too, belongs in the extraterrestrial conversation.
Even before the start of the playoffs, the 24-year-old had himself quite the argument for why he should be viewed in this particular light.
From his elite two-way abilities, which translated to averages of 17.1 points and 1.9 blocks on 36.2 percent shooting from the floor in 2025-26, to his phenomenal accolade collection that’s headlined by an All-Star nod and, of course, an NBA Championship, Holmgren’s resume speaks for itself.
However, amid this year’s playoff run, this finally healthy version of Chet has seemingly brought his game to a whole new level.
Thunder big further proving why he, too, belongs in ‘alien’ conversation
Through five games played, the 7-foot-1 big is putting on an absolute clinic for the Thunder, posting sensational averages of 18.6 points, 9.2 boards, 1.2 steals, and 2.2 blocks while shooting 57.4 percent from the floor and 45.0 percent from deep.
Of course, while his offense has been on fire thus far, as expected, Holmgren’s bread and butter has been his absolutely dominant efforts on the defensive end, where he’s holding opponents to just 44.3 percent shooting from the floor, averaging 3.4 stocks per night, and ranks third in contested shots with 11.6 (just .2 shy of Wemby).
In fact, speaking of this latter department, in the Thunder’s blowout win over the Lakers in Tuesday night’s semifinal opener, Holmgren held Los Angeles to just two points on 1-of-9 shooting from the floor when he was the primary contesting defender.
To put this into perspective, the pivot had more blocks on the night (three) than the Lakers had points when in such scenarios.
More important than anything, of course, is the fact that all of this production has directly resulted in unparalleled success for Oklahoma City.
The ball club has yet to lose a single game so far this postseason (5-0) and is breezing past their opponents with the second-highest point differential (17.4) while Chet is ranked second on the team in defensive rating at 111.4 and on-court offensive rating at 127.0 (minimum 120 minutes played) and first in true shooting percentage at 68.8 (minimum 28 shot attempts).
All things considered, while Wembanyama may be getting the lion’s share of praise and attention, when it comes to the discussion of the best young, multi-faceted big man in the association, Holmgren is more than deserving of recognition in the running for such a title.
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