Chet Holmgren to debut in home state against Rudy Gobert, KAT

The Oklahoma City Thunder will begin their season on Wednesday, October 19th against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This will mark Chet Holmgren’s NBA debut and what better way to do it? The second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft will surely be featured in the starting lineup on day one of his NBA career, just as Josh Giddey was a year ago after being selected sixth overall. Not only will Holmgren start this contest, but start his career in his home state of Minnesota.

Chet Holmgren is from Minneapolis, Minnesota from Minnehaha Academy where he played with Orlando Magic Guard, and last season’s fifth overall pick, Jalen Suggs. The 7’1 center will begin his NBA career in his hometown against two of the best big men in the league, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. Of course, Towns is one of the best shooting big men averaging 24 points per game on 41 percent shooting from deep, and Rudy Gobert a 7’1 big that is a three-time All-Star and three-time defensive player of the year.

Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder are set to open their season on October 19th, 2022 against the Minnesota Timberwolves against two dominant big-men in Holmgren’s home slate

With the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves both playing within the Western Conference Northwest division, the two teams will face off with each other a lot throughout this season, and in future seasons. This will be the first ever game for Holmgren, but also the first ever game for the new big man duo the Timberwolves will roll out.

Minnesota pushed all in trading six (if you count Walker Kessler) first-round picks for the former defensive player of the year to add to Karl-Anthony Towns, young star Anthony Edwards, and a Wolves team that made a run to the first round of the Western Conference playoffs with a 46-36 record a year ago.

Every NBA media personality, fan, and observer has commented on Holmgren’s frame and wondered if the Gonzaga product can hold up throughout 82 games or even just a single game against a physical defender, a grown-man if you will. Well, he has his shot to make that narrative die down by having a strong debut against who is regarded as the best big-man defender in the NBA.