NBA Summer League games are glorified exhibition games, but they provide teams and their fans the first opportunity to see some of their young players in action. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, they are hoping what occurred during the Salt Lake City Summer League is a sign of things to come in the future.
Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, made his Summer League debut on Tuesday against the Utah Jazz and was dominant. He got off to a very hot start, scoring 13 of his 23 points in the first quarter, knocking down three 3-pointers in the process.
He also blocked three shots in the opening quarter and handed out a nice assist as well, showcasing his potential on both ends of the court. That helped the Thunder out to an early 20-point lead, as they eventually won the game 98-77.
Holmgren had a full stat line when it was all said and done. In addition to the 23 points, he finished with seven rebounds, four assists and six blocks. The blocks were a Salt Lake City Summer League record.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Chet Holmgren WantED To End Up With OKC Thunder In 2022 NBA Draft?
Kameron Woods, the Thunder’s head coach for Summer League, was impressed with Holmgren’s performance in his debut.
“I thought he was really good offensively. The thing that impressed me the most with him was how well he played within our style,” said Woods. “He obviously had a great game, but the most impressive part to me was he did it within our offense. It looked like team basketball out there and he found success within what we’re doing.”
Holmgren meshed very well with Josh Giddey, the No. 6 overall pick from the 2021 NBA Draft and Jalen Williams, the No. 12 overall pick this year. Arguably the most important thing was that Holmgren held his own against the Jazz’s center combo of Tacko Fall and Kofi Cockburn.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Chet Holmgren WantED To End Up With OKC Thunder In 2022 NBA Draft?
Coming into the NBA, the biggest knock against Holmgren was his lack of size and strength given how skinny he was. But, he certainly passed his first test as Fall is listed at 7’6” and 250 pounds while Cockburn is 7-feet tall and comes in at 290 pounds.
The Gonzaga product is supremely talented. If Holmgren can prove he can hold up against bigger, strong opponents, he is going to more than hold his own in the NBA.
