Chet Holmgren 'extremely excited' for 2026 NBA playoffs

Apr 5, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and center Chet Holmgren (7) laugh after a play against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

If the Oklahoma City Thunder hope to become back-to-back NBA champions, they can't rely on last year's formula to repeat the same results. It'd be like taking a test at the beginning of the semester and expecting the final to lay out the same way.

Running it back with mostly the same group, the Thunder will likely need to rely on different sets of characters to bring home another Larry O'Brien trophy. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will do what he usually does as a walking 30-point machine, but the supporting cast might need to tune things up differently.

One way to do that? Chet Holmgren. Of his three playoff runs with the Thunder, this is the best he's looked entering Round 1. In 2024, he was a rookie center, learning the ropes. In 2025, he had to learn on the fly to play at around 70% capacity after missing three months with a hip fracture.

Now, Holmgren is playing the best basketball of his career. He's on his way to first-time honors like All-NBA and an All-Defensive Team spot. He should also finish as runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year — only trailing Victor Wembanyama in that category.

If the Thunder want to win another NBA championship, they likely need Holmgren to be Gilgeous-Alexander's new Robin. That was ' role last year. But injuries have limited him to just 33 games this past regular season. He'll need more time to sharpen his skills — specifically with his outside jumper. Until then, the seven-footer should be able to carry the load on both ends of the floor.