OKC Thunder players feed into Chet Holmgren hype

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one day away from Preseason hoops! Monday marks the start of the 2023-24 NBA season with an exhibition tilt against the San Antonio Spurs. This will be one of the most anticipated seasons in Bricktown, and it shows in how much abnormal excitement is around their first preseason game in the Paycom Center. With Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama debuting on Monday, the team has done nothing to squish expectations on Holmgren.

Chet Holmgren was selected 2nd overall in the 2022 NBA Draft and represents the lone top-five pick of this rebuild. Once Victor Oladipo is gone, Holmgren will be the lone top-five pick on this roster period. Last season, while the Gonzaga big man was sidelined for the year, the OKC Thunder made a 16-win improvement as their young core flashed.

Still, the Thunder fanbase is incredibly excited to see Chet Holmgren take the floor over a year after the Thunder drafted him. With him joining one of the best players in the world in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an elite playmaker who can make his life easier in Josh Giddey, and a do-it-all wing in Jalen Williams, it is easy to see why there are high hopes for Oklahoma City this season.

OKC Thunder saying all the right stuff to ignite Chet Holmgren’s hype from the fanbase.

The Oklahoma City Thunder held their annual Media Day on Monday and have been making multiple players and head coach Mark Daigneault available each day following training camp. Having been at media day and each practice, this organization is not hiding Holmgren’s potential.

Hearing and seeing the players’ genuine excitement when asked about Chet Holmgren should make the OKC Thunder fanbase feel good. The players are always the first to know who can and can’t play, and the tone and temperament when they answer these questions reveal a lot.

It certainly comes off as the Thunder believe in Holmgren’s generational potential. When asked about his new big man, Josh Giddey lights up like a Christmas Tree. Isaiah Joe, highlighting what a great athlete Holmgren is, shows that the injury did not rob him of one of his greatest strengths.

With Mark Daigneault and Chet Holmgren reassuring us that the Gonzaga product is “Fully recovered” according to the Bench Boss, as Holmgren adds, he “Doesn’t think about” the injury when playing, it is all systems go for Holmgren’s Rookie year redux.

On Monday, the OKC Thunder fanbase will get their first look at Chet Holmgren. Even if it is just for around 15 minutes, it will be enough to hold the Fanbase over who have waited so long to see the 2nd overall pick. We will have all the coverage live from the Paycom Center on Thunderous Intentions and Twitter.