Last year, the OKC Thunder put the league on notice by winning their first-ever NBA Championship.
This year, they might be even better thanks to their All-Star big man, Chet Holmgren, coming into the postseason at full strength.
The seven-footer issued a subliminal warning to fellow competitors in a recent interview regarding this very fact.
"Last year was very challenging. I don't think I felt the best physically. I feel really good right now," Holmgren said.
Of course, the power forward is referring to the long string of games he missed on account of a pelvic fracture that cost him the majority of the regular season. The sentiment also confirms what many of the box scores showed last year.
Compared to what we've come to expect out of the big man, he registered a pedestrian level of production that included 15.2 points per game on 46.2 percent shooting and 29.7 percent from three during the 2024-25 campaign. He also added 1.9 blocks per game to go along with his offensive numbers.
In comparison, his performance during OKC's title run was actually worse than the previous year when they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Thunder will need big man at full strength this postseason
The Thunder's starting five, though unchanged from last year's playoff run, might look extremely different this time around. A rejuvenated Chet Holmgren has already proven to be a force in the regular season.
His stats are up in virtually every category, and the tandem of him and Isaiah Hartenstein has established OKC as one of the best rim-defending teams in the league.
Now, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a healthy Jalen Williams, and a deep supporting cast, OKC is rounding into shape at the exact right time.
With an inevitable matchup against either the Nuggets or the Spurs, the Thunder will need the renewed version of Holmgren that fans have seen this year. Both teams boast elite frontcourts and operate offensively through their respective superstar big men.
He has already proven he can defensively impact the Nuggets' Nikola Jokic. In the two games against Denver in which Holmgren played, Jokic averaged just 19.5 points.
Victor Wembanyama also averaged a meager 17.5 points in games against OKC in which Holmgren was healthy. The number is 7.5 points less than his season average.
Watching what a healthy Holmgren can do in May and June will be a storyline to watch as the Thunder set out to defend their title.
He is likely champing at the bit to show Thunder fans what he's capable of in a high-stakes environment, and he will get plenty of opportunity in the weeks to come.
Add us as a preferred source on Google