One of the biggest complaints about OKC Thunder big Chet Holmgren has been and continues to be his lack of strength and size.
Yes, his 7-foot-1 stature is certainly menacing, but being accompanied by a weight of just 208 pounds, it falls short of striking full-potential fear into the heart of the opposition.
This summer, the 24-year-old has been regularly featured in images and video clips on the hardwood in the weight room, which, on the surface, suggests he's trying to pack on the muscle fans have been longing to see him develop throughout his career.
However, using his latest picture as an example, it seems that little to no progress has been made, at least from a visible standpoint, which only makes it more likely that the criticisms regarding his on-court power will be here to stay heading into 2026-27.
Thunder star's reluctance to pack on weight deserves to be questioned
Some may find it unfair to criticize Holmgren for his ectomorph frame. However, it's hard not to when thinking of his past remarks on the idea of bulking and the numerous examples of stars who entered the league with a similar body type and still managed to pack on weight.
A few years back, during an appearance on the All The Smoke podcast, Chet blankly said that his goal when it comes to working on his body isn't "necessarily about gaining weight," and noted that, in his eyes, added pounds come as one gets older.
Of course, now three years removed from these remarks, Holmgren still has yet to prove this latter statement remotely close to being true, as he seems as slender as ever, and only draws more attention to his seeming reluctance to commit to adding weight.
From Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo to personal rival Victor Wembanyama, there is proof scattered all across the NBA that seeing muscle growth from even the skinniest of talents is certainly possible should they put the proper work in.
Ahead of his fourth season of play in the association, it appears the Thunder star is merely staying stagnant with his build, and remains somewhat of a punch line when it comes to his strength, with even NBA 2K throwing shade his way by grading him as 45 overall in their strength calculations, a ruling he personally described as "crazy."
However, until he shows clear signs of progress in this department, questions and concerns over his force on the court will rightly remain.
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