Thursday, the OKC Thunder finally head back to the hardwood to take part in meaningful NBA action, as they’ll be taking on the Denver Nuggets in the Mile High City for their regular season opener.
Expectations are through the roof for this rising Oklahoma City squad, as they head into 2024-25 tabbed as one of the top contenders to take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy come year’s end.
While their status as the reigning Western Conference top-seed and boasting a roster with returning stars, both budding and super, in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams certainly play a role in why they’re viewed in the lofty light that they are, it’s the offseason shakeups that GM Sam Presti executed that really sets them apart from the vast majority of the league.
Unfortunately, Thunder fans will have to wait to see arguably their biggest summer addition (both figuratively and literally) grace the rotation with his presence, as splashy free agent pick-up Isaiah Hartenstein is slated to be sidelined through the first month and change of action with a left-hand fracture.
Obviously, because of this, OKC will be without their new rough-and-tough big man for their regular season tip-off against the Nuggets, and Holmgren’s latest comments on Denver’s franchise pivot, Nikola Jokic provide a reminder of just how much his absence will be missed.
Chet Holmgren’s ramarks on Nikola Jokic are unfortunate for Thunder
During a post-practice media session held on Tuesday, the Thunder sophomore was asked how the team is preparing to defend against the likes of Jokic heading into opening night. In response, Holmgren acknowledged the difficulties of such a task, suggesting that it’ll take a collective effort to try and slow him down on the floor.
“It’s not a me preparing thing, it’s more of a we preparing thing. He is a really good player and there is no guarding him. There is no one-on-one matchup for him. You guard him with a whole team. That’s the beauty of basketball, it’s a five-on-five game,” Holmgren said.
Holmgren would cap off his comments on his upcoming defensive assignment by noting “I got some teammates to help me out with that one,” though, the unfortunate reality of the matter is that the one teammate, in particular, that could have been a major factor in this department will be donning street clothes for the contest.
Measuring in at 6-foot-11, 284 pounds, Nikola Jokic is a behemoth compared to the 7-foot-1, 207-pound Thunder youngster, and his bully ball style of play is one that could give Chet serious issues.
Let’s not forget that arguably the biggest flaw in Holmgren’s game during his rookie campaign was his lack of strength and physicality on defense, and this became devastatingly obvious when going up against bulkier bigs like Jonas Valanciunas, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II during Oklahoma City’s ill-fated postseason run.
As a result of him being somewhat manhandling throughout the playoffs, the Thunder opted to shell out a whopping $87 million to entice the 7-foot, 249-pound Hartenstein to sign with the organization.
Following his career season with the New York Knicks where he played exceptional two-way ball and dropped 8.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.2 blocks through 49 starts, the 26-year-old is widely regarded as an ideal option to have slotted into coach Mark Daigneault’s lineup and take on the more physically demanding tasks that Holmgren currently cannot handle.
Thursday’s matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets would have been one of these instances where I-Hart’s addition could have been a major plus for the Thunder.
Unfortunately, with him sidelined for at least four to six weeks, the ball club will have to try and find another way to contain the three-time MVP, which, with the way their depth chart is currently constructed (no Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams, or any player aside from Holmgren and Ousmane Dieng measuring in above 6-foot-9) won’t be an easy task to accomplish.
