Chet Holmgren came into Tuesday's season opener between the OKC Thunder and Houston Rockets firing on all cylinders.
From his high-end activity in the rebounding department to his can't-miss shooting, the 23-year-old was virtually unstoppable right out of the gates, wrapping up the first half 18 points and four boards on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor. In his initial 18 minutes of action, it looked as if all of the hard work he put into his offseason training was immediately paying off.
Unfortunately, the good times didn't manage to roll on into the second half of the night, particularly in the scoring department, as Holmgren's production seemed to fall off a cliff after the mid-way break.
Though they were ultimately able to pull away with a thrilling 125-124 double overtime win, sadly, they ended up doing so in spite of Holmgren's struggles, which brought fans back to the reality of just how maddening the big man's play has been throughout his career.
Chet Holmgren's offense has been streaky since joining Thunder
Whether one wants to chalk it up to injuries or simple on-court lapses, it's become something of a theme since he first suited up for OKC back in 2023-24 that Holmgren is a rather streaky player.
This was specifically put on full display throughout the second half of last season and during their eventual title-run postseason, where, in one game, he'd wrap up with 22 points on 61.5 percent shooting from deep, while, during their very next outing, he'd finish with six points on 22.2 percent shooting as a whole.
During the 2025-26 opener, this kind of roller coaster ride was truncated and put into a single matchup, as his hot start to the night wound up transitioning into a truly frigid brand of production, as he would finish off with just 10 more points and even fouled out in the first of two overtimes.
While his end-of-game counting stats of 28 points and 7 rebounds may look highly impressive on the surface, from the advanced metrics (-1 plus-minus) and the sheer eye test, Tuesday's tip-off was a prime example of just how frusturating Chet can be.
One second, he looks like he's bound for stardom. The next, he's plummeting back down to mere tertiary-option status.
Should he find a way to put his talents together for a full 48 minutes (or, in this case, 58 minutes), the rest of the league needs to watch out. Until then, however, it will be hard for the Thunder to fully rely on Holmgren as a reliable go-to offensive weapon.