With the new NBA season almost here, the OKC Thunder will be subject to numerous lists and preseason rankings. Many of these will favor the juggernaut franchise, but some will look upon it unfavorably.
In Chet Holmgren's case, a recent list omitted him altogether, and it certainly has nothing to do with his skills on the basketball court. In reality, it only shows that the league hasn't yet caught up to the big man's new role in the Thunder rotation.
HoopsHype recently came out with a list of the league's 27 best power forwards. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Johnson, and Scottie Barnes topped the list, while more obscure names like Rui Hachimura, Jonathan Kuminga, and John Collins rounded things out.
Chet Holmgren was nowhere to be found, and it may be because he is not universally considered a power forward... yet.
Chet Holmgren is clearly more effective at power forward for Thunder
Holmgren is no stranger to the power forward position. Over the past two years, he has been slotted in at the position every time Isaiah Hartenstein has started with him.
Though Chet always takes the opening tip-off thanks to his 7-foot stature, it's I-Hart who mans the paint while his All-Star counterpart plays more on the perimeter.
On NBA.com, Holmgren is listed as a "center-forward," a hybrid of sorts. Though, thanks to a recent shift in Thunder camp, he may quickly lose the "center" part of his positional status.
At 7-foot-1, 208 pounds (soaking wet), Holmgren's slight build has created some defensive problems in his career. Most recently, he was dominated in the Western Conference Finals by Victor Wembanyama, who bullied the former Gonzaga big up and down the court for seven games. In Game 7, Holmgren attempted just two shots, all but vanishing out of thin air.
Thunder have learned their lesson from the Holmgren center experiment
His failure on the big stage was seen by the entire league. They remain loyal to the big man amid the criticism, but they clearly saw the same deficiencies in their All-Star as everybody else.
They used their first pick of the 2026 NBA Draft to snag Michigan's Aday Mara, who is even taller and bigger than Holmgren. Drafted to be a "Wembanyama Stopper" of sorts, the selection serves to alleviate Holmgren of rim-protecting duties against bigger, heavier centers.
Now, coach Mark Daigneault has Isaiah Hartenstein, Aday Mara, Jaylin Williams, and Thomas Sorber at his disposal down low. If he wishes to keep Chet out of the painted area, he certainly has the resources to do so.
It wouldn't be surprising to see Holmgren make a more permanent shift to the perimeter, as his size and skill set resemble that of a taller forward. Even though he has appeared to gain some weight this offseason, he is still a far cry from the Nikola Jokics of the world and is clearly not equipped to defend the rival Wembanyama.
Hopefully, the power forward version of Chet Holmgren can thrive, thus vaulting him towards the top of HoopsHype's list come next year.
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