Chet Holmgren Game 7 Hot Garbage Performance Among The Worst in NBA History

Chet Holmgren shrank under the bright lights in Game 7, putting up one of the worst performances from an All-NBA player as the OKC Thunder ended their season at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night. 

Holmgren played 33 minutes and scored only four points while taking only two shots, both coming in the first half. He also had four rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. 

According to Basketball Reference, Holmgren’s four-point performance is the worst from an All-NBA player since 2004, when Jason Kidd had zero points in the Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 against that year’s eventual champions, Detroit Pistons. 

Across all NBA history, Holmgren had the second-least scoring tally in a Game 7 from an All-NBA player, eclipsing the likes of Baron Davis in 2004, Ben Wallace in 2006, and John Stockton in 1994. 

Holmgren was named to the All-NBA third team this season after a stellar regular season campaign where he averaged 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game as the Thunder picked up 64 wins only to squander the best record in the league in the playoffs. 

It’s Holmgren’s, the second pick of the 2022 NBA draft, first-ever All-NBA nod. 

Massive Paycheck Awaits Chet Holmgren Next Year Despite Poor Playoff Performance

GettyOklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren immediately became the subject of trade tumors after a disappointing performance in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

Despite an underwhelming performance throughout the playoffs, Chet Holmgren is still set for a massive paycheck next season. 

Last year, Holmgren signed a five-year, rookie max contract extension with the Thunder worth up to $250 million. The deal guaranteed him $239.25 million. 

The massive extension will kick in next season. He will be earning an average of $47.85 million per season, with year one costing the Thunder $41.25 million.

Throughout the playoffs, Holmgren played subpar from his standards, tallying just 14.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. The Thunder swept the first two rounds of the playoffs before facing a hungry and youthful San Antonio Spurs squad in the Western Conference Finals, where he faced his old rival Victor Wembanyama. 

Holmgren recorded 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game during the 7-game series against the Spurs. 

He also often looked outmatched against Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama throughout the series as the Thunder went on to just put Isaiah Hartenstein—a heftier seven-footer—against Wemby since Game 2. 

With the Thunder’s loss, the team failed to defend their title and become the first squad to win back-to-back NBA championships since 2018. 

Big Decisions Await OKC Thunder in the Summer

GettyOklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren drew a ton of criticism and was benched late in Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs.

It will be a long summer, not just for Chet Holmgren but also for the OKC Thunder as they are faced with big questions and decisions in the offseason. 

The Thunder can choose from running it back with their current roster and swing for a huge superstar trade with the hopes of competing with the Spurs in the foreseeable future. 

The Thunder can also move up in the upcoming NBA draft to perhaps gain a top-five pick in a stacked class. They can currently have the 12th pick in the draft. 

The only certainty so far is that the Thunder will continue to be two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s squad. 

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