Chet Holmgren openly admitted that he fell short of expectations and should have played better against the San Antonio Spurs during their intense postseason matchup. The Oklahoma City Thunder center struggled to find his offensive rhythm as his team fell in a grueling seven-game Western Conference Finals battle.
The young big man addressed his lackluster performance during the Thunder exit interviews, which were captured in a video shared on X by Anthony Slater. “I feel like part of it was being kind of closed out heavy, too,” Holmgren explained when questioned about his unusually low number of shot attempts.
He further elaborated on his hesitation during the games, recognizing it as a critical learning moment for his NBA career. “Also, just being a little bit out of rhythm at times. I feel like there were definitely opportunities to get more attempts up that I didn’t in the moment. That’s an area to improve,” Holmgren concluded.
How bad did Holmgren play against the Spurs?
Against San Antonio, the center averaged just 10.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting a poor 27.3% from beyond the arc. His worst moment came in the decisive Game 7, where he vanished offensively, scoring only four points.
This sudden drop in production heavily impacted the Thunder, especially with injuries already sidelining key roster pieces like Jalen Williams. Without Holmgren acting as a reliable secondary scoring option alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the offense stagnated against Victor Wembanyama’s interior presence.
At just 24 years old, this painful experience provides him with a clear blueprint of what he needs to adjust in the gym this summer. Armed with a team that completely backs him, Holmgren is well-positioned to fix his aggressiveness and bounce back stronger next season.
