Chet Holmgren as the difference maker
Chet Holmgren has been incredible in the first two games of his playoff career as he's averaging 21.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, and 1.5 assists while battling for rebounds against Pelicans veteran center Jonas Valanciunas.
He has been dominant through his interior presence, especially on the defensive end. As the last line of the Thunder’s defense, Holmgren deters otherwise easy incursions inside the paint through a rich skill set that sets him apart from any big player in the series.
In the first quarter alone, the former number two overall pick set the tone for the Thunder with 15 points through his versatile offensive game consisting of his off-the-catch scoring and touch from the field.
"He was great to start," Gilgeous-Alexander said of Holmgren in Game Two. "He was aggressive, he was assertive, made quick decisions and obviously was a big reason why we got out to that lead. He just played to his strengths and didn't try to stray from them. We all know when he does that, he's really good."
Chet contests the shot... J-Dub finishes on the other end 💪
— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2024
Thunder rolling in the 4th on TNT! pic.twitter.com/U1SWTB77R4
On the defensive end, he also proved to be similarly as impactful, swatting away two shots while altering several others during his 28 minutes of play.
Holmgren was the reason why the Thunder came out as strong as they did during Wednesday's Game 2. As inexperienced as he may be, the 21-year-old rookie has been the difference-maker thus far in this first-round series against NOLA.