Coming into Thursday's opener against the Denver Nuggets, many feared that superstar big man Nikola Jokic could prove to be too much for the OKC Thunder, especially considering both Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams were ruled out for the occasion due to injuries.
Ultimately, however, the slender man himself, Chet Holmgren showcased that his offseason training may have already translated over into regular season play, as he was an absolute force on both ends of the floor and, specifically, proved to be a handful for the three-time MVP.
Though Jokic did, in fact, finish the night off with a triple-double of 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists, he did so while committing three turnovers, three personal fouls, and being held to just 33 percent shooting from distance and, more noteworthy, a mere 25.0 percent from the floor during their second half of action.
For the vast majority of the night, Holmgren served as the primary point of attack for the Nuggets center and showed himself to be more than capable of holding his own against an individual with nearly 80 pounds on him.
Following Denver's 102-87 demise against the Thunder, Jokic was asked what, in specific, Oklahoma City did to "make things hard at the rim" on the night, an area where he shot just 33.3 percent from during the final two-quarters of play.
In response, the 29-year-old credited Mark Daigneault's squad as a whole for being "a good defensive team," though specifically shouted out Holmgren for his impact on this side of the ball.
Nikola Jokic shouts out Chet Holmgren after Thunder win in opener
"Chet, of course, is there to be a rim protector. Not even just to block the shots but to make them miss. We just didn't finish," Jokic said.
Interestingly enough, however, the praise-filled sentiments didn't stop at Holmgren's defensive acumen but also included his production on the offensive end of the floor, as he specifically highlighted his physicality down in the paint and at the rim.
"He had a couple of offensive rebounds. He was really good... attacking down hill in a couple of situations. He didn't make any shots but that's something that he's probably good at. He played really good tonight," Jokic said of Holmgren.
Now, labeling Chet Holmgren's showing against Denver as "good" is putting it rather lightly, as the sophomore put forth a stat-sheet-stuffing frenzy in his 36 minutes of action, finishing the night with a whopping 25 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks while shooting 61.1 percent from the field.
Though the big man may have gone about and downplayed his performance in the season opener, saying post-game that "I still have so much farther to go," early signs clearly show that he looks primed for a breakout campaign in his sophomore season.
While it may have only been one game, Holmgren's efforts have already caught the attention of the future Hall of Famer in Nikola Jokic as he kicks off year two with a bang.