Chet Holmgren needs to step up in Game 7 for OKC
Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr break down Chet Holmgren 's performance in this series and how the Spurs are entirely too comfortable with him on the floor. Check out the full conversation on “The Dunker Spot” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen .
Video Transcript
There is just a general level of, I'm not even gonna say competitiveness, 'cause, like, at no point have I felt like Chet has, like, shied away from the moment or anything like that.
There have been moments where he just has not played well enough or he has not performed the level.
But, like, in terms of, like, I'm ready to play, like, I don't, I'm, I'm not in that business, and, like, I don't feel that any way.
I will say, though, to your point, Steve, the level of comfort that Julian Chan- and I talked to you about this before, but, like, the level of comfort that Julian Champagnie is finding as this series goes on.
Like, which, quick shout-out to game five.
Hey, welcome to the series, making threes again.
That's cool for him.
but, like, the level of comfort that he's had as a driver, I don't love that for Chet Holmgren, and through the broader lens, I don't love that for OKC.
Because you already are expecting Stephon Castle to try to get downhill.
Dylan Harper's gonna try to get downhill.
Underrated subplot, the Spurs did that to the Thunder, and De'Aaron Fox made one shot in that basketball game.
But De'Aaron Fox is gonna be afraid to get downhill.
We know how Victor Wembanyama feels about him.
You're conti- -- You're starting to add more and more people to the list of people that's like, "Oh, that's Chet down there?
That's fine.
I'll drive against him.
Oh, he blocked my shot?
That's fine.
I'll do it again."
Like, it felt like we talked about this on the Wemby side going back a couple series where, the Minnesota series in particular, it was like, okay, he's going to block these.
We just cannot be afraid to go at him.
Like, we just have to wear him down to a degree.
It feels like there's some of that with the Spurs with an extra helping of, "Yeah, we can just get you, big dog."
That can't be the bit for Chet either.
And so, like, I do want to see more physicality with some of his contests.
Like, I don't want him to have three fouls in the first quarter, 'cause that's obviously going to be a hindrance to OKC.
But, like, you want to see a little bit more force defensively from him.
More than anything, though, 'cause, you mentioned the Devin Vassell.
The, the block from Devin Vassell and then him letting Chet know about it afterwards was, I got a good chuckle out of that one.
But offensively, Devin Vassell, talked about his defense on the last pod, but he is making Chet very uncomfortable before his catches.
When they try to set up these pin downs for Chet and Devin Vassell is just in his jersey and pushing him off his spot, it's like, hey, that, you can't allow that as often as that has been the case over the past couple of games.
They are going to need Chet Holmgren on both ends of the floor.
They're gonna need the paint presence.
They're gonna need the rebounding.
They're gonna need the shot blocking offensively.
One, the shot taking from him, like, we just cannot afford the record scratches if you're OKC.
And when you do have Devin Vassell, you wanna face him up, like, just shoot over the top of him or just drive and get into your move.
Like, there have been so many, like, catch, hold, jab, let me see where the help is, like, like you're about to get double teams or something.
Now the slow dribble against him, we don't really move him.
Now we're picking the ball up and it's a turnaround.
It's like you're good enough to make that shot.
Are you doing anything to materially bend San Antonio's defense?
