The 2021-2022 season is over Oklahoma City Thunder tied for the lowest offensive ratio in the entire NBA with the Orlando Magic. It was, on the other hand, the second straight year in which the team finished with such an inefficient offensive pace. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander He had played just 56 games between absences and injuries. His future looked bright, but perhaps away from isolated OKC. The ominous cloud of the eternal project that was never hallowed hung over the franchise in the weeks leading up to the Draft. Then option #2 came up Chet Holmgrenthe missing piece in the gear.
However, the OKC Thunder had to wait an entire season to see the Minneapolis Giant dressed in shorts and ready to play. But the team couldn’t wait to explode, going from 24 to 40 wins and falling in the final Play-In game against the Timberwolves.
Expectations with the franchise for this 2023-2024 academic year have been mixed. From the most optimistic to those who expected a collapse due to the rising level of the Congress. Consume 30% of normal phase Oklahoma City Not only has it far exceeded projections, but it’s on its way they are fighting to be leaders in the West. With a 16-8 record as of December 17th, the team led by Mark Daigneault is one of the stories of this season.
And it all starts with the connection forged between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren.
Building a future project around a manager and big man is one of the safest paths to take at any stage in NBA history. But it’s impressive that OKC was so clear from the start that both players were going to fit and work despite the different points in their careers. Shai is a dedicated star, a name that comes from being the best guard from the last campaign as part of it first team All-NBA. But Holmgren is just taking his first steps in this league after taking a gap year.
The reality is that they are the fifth-best pairing on different teams this season in terms of efficiency, posting a +13.0 net score.
| Pos. | Pair of | Equipment | Net score |
| 1 | Embiid, Maxey | 76 year olds | +17.2 |
| 2 | George, Leonard | Clippers | +14.4 |
| 3 | Tatum, White | Celtics | +13.9 |
| 4 | Gobert, Edwards | Timberwolves | +13.5 |
| 5 | Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren | thunder | +13.0 |
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The two have proven to have a natural fit, complementing each other in both attack and defence. The natural conditions of both, almost cut from the same cloth (long and light arms), as well as versatility in scoring make Chet and Cy a very interesting example of the basketball of the future.
A union expressed with an assist from the Canadian destined for Holmgren:
But also with the interior that allows Gilgeous-Alexander the route to the rim or the necessary space to shoot from distance:
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Though Shai had already proven his worth individually, shining in a wasteland like this roster From years past, Holmgren’s arrival, or rather his debut, allowed the Canadian to increase his risk. Now opponents have to be aware of one more factor, the one who scores 48.2% of his rebounds after a block and 41% of his triples after a pass.
All this without leaving aside the fact that Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the most unbalanced dribblers today.
The OKC Thunder point guard occupies the 85th percentile in clearing (2nd best), 90th in direct blocking (3rd best) and 77th in transition (3rd best); three backbones of the modern attack that make him a significant threat to any opponent.
But highlighting just the offensive performance is missing half the film of this team. And the point is that the back is where the progress was greatest compared to the previous campaign. And there the figure of Holmgren emerges as a decisive element in the change of course. He rookie must be considered one of the strongest candidates for Defensive Player of the Year Thank you 2.8 blocks and 0.8 steals, as well as his great work in pick&roll (78th percentile) and having granted only one 43.8% success rate against his opponents.
This couple has a long, long way to go. They still have to deal with issues that come up, that an opponent finds a way to stop them in the middle of the court, but the reality right now is that the pairing of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren is one of the most interesting and fun duos to play. watch in all of them.the nba.
