4x All-Star reveals rise of Chet Holmgren motivated him throughout offseason

Draymond Green has been catching serious flack from the OKC Thunder fanbase for his comments on the team's post-game shenanigans, however, not everything he's said has been negative.

Oklahoma City is headlined by their MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has taken the basketball world by storm. Of course, the squad is much more than SGA, as young stars surround him. Chet Holmgren, in particular, has jumped onto the scene for the Thunder, averaging 17.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game to start his sophomore season. 

The promising center is making his defensive presence known early on, being the backbone of this OKC defensive unit. Even against other centers that are supposed to dominate, Chet holds his own.

This is where Draymond Green talks about the youngster in a positive light, stating how the Thunder big motivated him to become a better defender. 

Draymond Green credits offseason drive to Thunder big Chet Holmgren

Draymond Green said in a post-game interview last week that Chet, as well as Spurs stud Victor Wembanyama, have motivated him to be better defensively. 

“To spend all summer watching everyone talk about Chet and Wemby, and what they are doing defensively, don’t forget about Dre," Green said.

Although Green is one of the more decorated defensive players in NBA history, Holmgren has made a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year during these infancy stages of 2024-25. 

The Gonzaga product is second in the league in win shares, right behind his coworker in Gilgeous-Alexander. Not to mention, the big man has a 90 defensive rating, one of the best in the league. 

The biggest question surrounding Holmgren going into year two was whether he could handle himself against bigger opponents, particularly in the weight and muscle department. During the first game of the season alone, he silenced all the doubters. 

Against the three-time MVP and 2023 NBA Champion Nikola Jokic, the 7-footer played lock-down defense, limiting him to 16 points in 35 minutes of play, and a -9 in the plus-minus category. 

Of course, though Holmgren may have led the charge in this particular victory, it was a whole team effort. The Thunder have been holding teams to an average of 95.9 points per game through seven games played and are holding them to a league-low 39.0 percent shooting from the floor.

They are also the only team to win every single game by double digits this season, and the only squad holding teams to under 100 points per game on average. 

Who is in the front of this? Chet Holmgren!

That being said, this is just the beginning of the center's stellar defensive play. Once backup bigs Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams return from injury, Holmgren could see an increase in his play on the defensive end. 

With I-Hart specifically on the floor during preseason, the pairing with Chet was deadly, allowing for more backside help along the baseline, and helping out in the rebounding department. 

Even without any backup centers, the young star has been showcasing his defensive prowess, and it has caused NBA greats to up their game. 

Chet Holmgren is already shaping up to be the future of defensive side of the ball in this league.