Amid the backlash Chet Holmgren is receiving following his admittedly putrid Western Conference Finals performance, outspoken OKC Thunder critic, Chris Finch, has surprisingly come to his defense.
During a recent appearance on KFAN 1003, the Timberwolves coach called out the widespread "overreactions" from both fans and media pundits regarding this past year's campaign, and, in the middle of his tirade, labeled the recent chatter about Holmgren being "no good" something he "can't stand."
"The strays... I don't listen to it. I turn my TV off in the morning during the playoffs. I don't want to hear it. It ruins my enjoyment of the game," Finch said.
Though most may be suffering from a bad case of recency bias, with the emphasis being on his averages of just 10.7 points per game in the conference finals and shooting just twice in their Game 7 loss to the Spurs, prior to that, the big man actually sustained his All-Star level impact for the majority of the playoffs.
Sam Presti highlighted this during his recent end-of-season presser, where he said the Thunder swept their way to round three "primarily" because of his two-way efforts. Throughout the first two rounds, he posted averages of 17.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks on 57.8 percent shooting from the floor and 40.0 percent shooting from deep.
One bad series certainly doesn't wipe this undeniable truth away. Presti certainly doesn't believe so, anyway, and neither does Finch.
Thunder aren't interested in trading Chet Holmgren this summer
Despite the increase in Holmgren criticisms and ludicrous calls for his dismissal from the team, the big man doesn't appear to be going anywhere.
At least, that's what Jake Fischer is confidently reporting, as the NBA insider recently revealed that his sources "insist" that a Holmgren trade is not on OKC's offseason to-do list, and even went as far as to call most of the chatter “fueled by fan fiction”.
Frankly, this bit of news should come as no surprise to anyone who actually watched more than just this past Western Conference Finals.
Still only 24 years old, Holmgren just wrapped up what was objectively his best season in the association, finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting while earning his first All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive nods along the way.
With his production and accompanying accolades, he more than earned his five-year, $239.2 million max contract that is set to kick in next season.
Even with his late-round playoff struggles, the Thunder should be more than happy to keep Holmgren around for the long haul.
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