{"id":644081,"date":"2026-03-06T22:27:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T22:27:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/644081\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T22:27:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T22:27:28","slug":"chet-holmgrens-offense-can-spark-okcs-march-run-lwos-basketball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/644081\/","title":{"rendered":"Chet Holmgren’s Offense Can Spark OKC’s March Run – LWOS Basketball"},"content":{"rendered":"

Heading into the gauntlet of games this March, it seems that OKC is finding itself in a tough spot. The defending champions are just a few games ahead in the league standings<\/a>. Sure, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> is finally playing at a high level, coming from his injury. However, they will need more from the rest of the squad if they want to win. With key players out, it\u2019s now the \u201cnext man up.\u201d Chet Holmgren<\/a>\u2018s offense must come alive as OKC needs more from their star center<\/a>. Especially if they want to stay on the championship hunt<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While they currently boast the best record in the NBA, there are rivals coming in hot that may steal their advantage in the long run. For starters, the San Antonio Spurs are just three games behind for the top spot in the West, while the Detroit Pistons are the same, sitting at the top of the East. While the worries are for the coming Playoff run, the Thunder may want to solve this earlier rather than later. Holmgren\u2019s offense is definitely going to play a huge role in their success in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

SGA on Chet Holmgren: “The moment he’s stepped on the court, he’s changed our team. Changed our identity. Changed our trajectory.”<\/p>\n

SGA says Chet’s offense is going to get even better.<\/p>\n

“He works too hard to stay where he is.”<\/p>\n

\u2014 Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) February 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Chet Holmgren\u2019s Offense Can Spark OKC\u2019s March Run<\/p>\n

So far, Oklahoma City has started the month of March strong<\/a>. They are boasting a 3-0 record so far. In all those games, SGA has been balling. But one glaring fact in those games is that Chet hasn\u2019t been keeping up with his co-star. In fact, he\u2019s not doing so well since the All-Star Break. Critics have noticed a drop in his shooting percentage, but then he\u2019s also making waves by playing superb defense on the other end. Right now, however, it seems that OKC may need more than just defense from him, especially if they are not at full strength.<\/p>\n

Chet\u2019s Offense Has Been a Roller Coaster<\/p>\n

Since the All-Star Break, Holmgren\u2019s offensive outputs haven\u2019t been really that satisfying<\/a>. It\u2019s nowhere close to his first-half play, where he\u2019s been grinding with impressive shooting. In fact, the Thunder center only scored more than 20 points once in the last seven games. He has shot below 50% three times in that span. For a center who\u2019s usually lurking around the paint and even coming up with multiple jumpers, that\u2019s surprising. Considering that he\u2019s one of the most consistent centers we\u2019ve seen, and is even shooting a career-high 55.2% for the season.<\/p>\n

If we take a closer look, you\u2019ll find these numbers odd. He was 5-of-14 from the field in the win against Cleveland and finished with 17 points (matched up against Evan Mobley<\/a>). Then they were limited to 3-of-8 shooting against Toronto. Holmgren would then perform well in two big games against Denver (and Nikola Jokic<\/a> as his main matchup) and Dallas, finishing with 15 and 19 points, respectively. What\u2019s weird is that he would then struggle against the Bulls on 4-of-10 shooting while being defended by Guerschon Yabusele<\/a> \u2014 who stands at 6-foot-7.<\/p>\n

Daigneault on Chet Holmgren’s 28 points and 6 3P:<\/p>\n

“It was just us getting the ball ahead of their defense, getting to rotation. Shai hit him for a couple ones -early passes. The rest of them were out of the flow. He was ready to shoot. He got it going. We needed all of them.”<\/p>\n

\u2014 Nick Gallo (@NickAGallo) March 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Then of course, there\u2019s his big game against New York, where he dropped 28 points with six threes in what has been his most efficient game next to the Denver win. He was crashing the glass and putting up impressive defensive work, and we even saw a promising poster put-back dunk from him over Karl-Anthony Towns<\/a>. It\u2019s a small sample size, sure, but you can see the varying consistency in his offense. Holmgren is notable for playing smart basketball and choosing his shots well. He\u2019s a beast on defense, everyone knows that, but his offense has got to catch up.<\/p>\n

Maybe the Glass Crasher is the Key?
\n\"JanJan 21, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center\/forward Chet Holmgren (7) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

One interesting fact in his recent games is the rebounding. This season has been a strong rebounding surge from Holmgren. He\u2019s increased his presence on the boards, and it has paid off well for the Thunder. In fact, OKC stands with a 16-6 record this season<\/a> whenever Holmgren grabs 10 or more rebounds. In fact, he\u2019s only got eight games where he finished with fiv<\/a>e or fewer boards. That\u2019s a better output than his 12 games last season with fewer than five rebounds<\/a>. To top it all off, Oklahoma City is 40-11 this season when Chet has five<\/a> or more rebounds.<\/p>\n

I’ll sacrifice chet’s fake scoring for this level of rebounding man.<\/p>\n

rebound like this, sit in the corner\/wing for threes, float in the dunker spot for ihart, shut the paint down and we good. none of that fake creation shit just pure motor stuff.<\/p>\n

\u2014 getoffmyfutason (@fuukattino) February 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Now that\u2019s an eye-opening stat. In those 51 games, he\u2019s only scored eight times below his season average<\/a>. This just means that an aggressive Holmgren also scores better and has certainly contributed to impressive wins for OKC. Bringing balance to the boards and scoring seems to be the key to his game. This was seen well in the wins against New York and Denver, with the latter seeing the Gonzaga product coming up with 21 rebounds. Now more than ever, this should be the game that he should ride with<\/a> for the rest of the season.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s improved his mid-range game, but his three-ball hasn\u2019t been that good with a slight drop so far. Sure, this decreases his ability to space the floor, but who would trade a higher three-point shooting percentage for a better chance at winning games?<\/p>\n

The Last Word On Chet Holmgren\u2019s Offense<\/p>\n

SGA is in a world of his own<\/a> right now. Holmgren, on the other side, has to step up his offense well if he\u2019s going to make an impact for OKC in the long run. He has to improve his shooting overall while also continuing his consistent rebounding spike. This should help the Thunder come up with better games and even improve their ball rotation in the long run. With Jalen Williams<\/a> and Ajay Mitchell<\/a> \u2014 Oklahoma City\u2019s key playmakers \u2014 out for the meantime<\/a>, there\u2019s definitely a strong need for Chet to step up in his game as well.<\/p>\n

If Holmgren can keep up the fire on the defensive end while improving his offense, he\u2019d be a juggernaut for OKC to rely on. We\u2019ve seen him struggle to lead the Thunder offense. However, this fiery start to March is somewhat a good groove for him to ride on. This is definitely the time for Holmgren to step up and prove that he deserves his All-Star selection and shut down his critics. Now is the time for him to show that he can rise to the occasion.<\/p>\n

Featured Image: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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