Chet Holmgren still has Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti in his corner.
Despite external questions about Holmgren’s psyche and fortitude following a lackluster Western Conference finals performance, in which the All-Star attempted just two shots in a Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Presti told reporters Monday in his end-of-season media availability that this shortcoming is part of Holmgren’s growth path.
“Chet’s one of our guys,” Presti began. “He’s been so impactful. He drives winning on so many different levels for us. We were sweeping our way to the Western Conference finals primarily because of his efforts in the series.
“All that to say he didn’t have a great series in the last series. But if you go back and look at some of the greatest players in the game, they all have these moments where they run into defeat or struggle. That’s what makes them great players … they’re able to continue to move on from that and improve.”
Across seven games in the Western Conference finals, Holmgren averaged 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 7.3 field goal attempts per game, shooting 57.5 percent from 2 and 27.3 percent from 3 (1.6 attempts). Asked about his series in his exit interview, the former Gonzaga standout succinctly said he’d need to review the film, understand where he can improve and “trust my work through the offseason.”
While Presti did not want to pin the season’s outcome on the extent of the team’s injuries, he noted that the most disappointing part was the development the team missed out on, namely the continuity between starters and OKC’s core trio. He also noted that additional ballhandlers would’ve helped Holmgren navigate the series against the Spurs.
In his exit interview last week, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added that he wouldn’t micromanage Holmgren’s offseason development. On Monday, Presti detailed all the reasons he isn’t concerned about whether Holmgren will return in the fall as an improved player.
“Two things about Chet I’d also add: One, he’s an underdog,” Presti said. “We’ve seen that everywhere. He’s being questioned all the time. I watched that guy when he was in high school, (and) people had all kinds of questions and doubts. That’s nothing new to this guy. He’s used to being an underdog. That’s why he fits here so well.
“The other thing about him … this is a guy that is intrinsically motivated. He doesn’t need people questioning him or things on the internet to drive his improvement. The best example of that is we won the finals last year, won the championship. He was dominant in Game 7 defensively and through a lot of the playoffs. Then, look at how much better he got over the summer. … He doesn’t need somebody to nudge him; he doesn’t need somebody to question him, It’s just kind of how he’s wired. So, I’m not really that concerned about him.
“The good thing is you get to confront those things again and continue to improve, and I’m confident that he’ll be ready to go.”