Through two weeks of action, the OKC Thunder are playing beyond even the lofty expectations bestowed upon them coming into the 2024-25 campaign, and Saturday night's matchup against the the LA Clippers proved to be a perfect presentation of their stupendous level of play.
Dominant on both ends of the floor isn't even a descriptor that does this team justice, as they were truly mesmerizing to watch through 48 minutes of play.
From their 41.0 percent conversion rate from long-range and the fact that six different players registered double-digit scoring outputs to their forcing Los Angeles into a whopping 20 turnovers and holding their opponent to under 100 points for the fourth time this year, the Thunder once again ultimately proved too prepotent to compete with.
In turn, even though the game was rather close during the middle stages of the game (LA even led by double-digits at one point), they handily capped off the night with a 105-92 win, which has them boasting a 6-0 record for the first time since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City back in 2008.
When looking back on the contest, it's easy to assume that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the primary difference-maker for Oklahoma City, and, considering his stuffed stat line of 25 points, 9 assists, 3 boards, and a block on 50.0 percent shooting from the field and beyond the arc, such an assumption would certainly have serious merit.
However, sometimes impact plays don't always translate to the stat sheet, and, during his post-game interview, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue discussed one player, in particular, who may not have posted the most notable of numbers, he feels forced LA into "compromising positions" during the contest.
Ty Lue says Chet Holmgren put Clippers in 'compromising positions'
"They put you in some compromising positions, you know, with Chet at the five. They're flaring screens for him, pin downs for him and is trying to chase. We got to switch the flare screens which in the first half we did a good job with in the second half we could have did a better job," Lue said.
Since making his debut in the association last season, Holmgren has established himself as one of the game's most promising young stars thanks to his wide array of on-court abilities which were on full display against LA.
While he was certainly an active participant in the screen game as Lue noted, the big man also showcased his impressive on-ball skillset, serving as a primary distributor and court-runner on multiple occasions during his 29 minutes on the hardwood -- who can forget his sensational full-court lead pass to SGA following a backboard clapped block on Zubac late in the third?!
His impact on the game's outcome despite his lowly scoring output (10 points on 33.3 percent shooting) truly served as a driving force in the Thunder's historic victory, as he filled the box score with 14 boards, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block and contributed in a multitude of other areas that didn't pop up on the stat sheet.
So while Gilgeous-Alexander may often be the most buzzed-about catalyst in Oklahoma City's sensational successes, Lue specifically name-dropping Holmgren for his contributions following Thursday's bout, even when his numbers may not have screamed game-changer, serves as an encouraging reinforcement of just how strong and well-rounded this Thunder core is.