OKC Thunder forward Chet Holmgren speed animation
Oklahoman illustrator Todd Pendleton does a speed drawing of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren.
SAN ANTONIO — Their worlds collided well before tipoff.
Victor Wembanyama juggled between the ball that threaded his legs and the one tossed to his other hand as he maneuvered through his pregame routine. Chet Holmgren awaited his own workout, shooting the ball back into his hands over and over. His vision darted to a few places. The ball. The floor. His hands. Not once did it shoot toward the other end of the court. Not even a peek.
Holmgren has denied any invitation to conversation about any rivalry with his French counterpart all season. Shot down every question, any idea that the two are in competition.
In stints, their bodies invited it all. Holmgren with his footwork and fluidity, Wembanyama with his affinity for reaching the rim and roaring directly after. Their second regular season matchup held far more juice than the first.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander eventually delivered a typical 32 points, six rebounds and 10 assists after a 16-point third quarter. He rested the entire fourth quarter. OKC made 18 of its 40 3-point attempts. It ran San Antonio out of the gym once the second half began.
The Spurs, on the opposite end of OKC’s spectrum as a 3-point shooting team, shot just 9 for 32 from deep.
Wembanyama finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. His towering frame, elastic baskets and rim protection were all the rage. But halfway through the fourth quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander and several of OKC’s starters were long rested.
Holmgren (17 points, nine rebounds, three blocks) and Wembanyama had those few moments to start the final quarter. A tango of sorts, which the Thunder rookie presumably grew comfortable with considering the diminished stakes.
A Holmgren 3-ball. Wembanyama seemingly toeing along a tightrope and through Holmgren’s chest for a two-hand dunk. A silky, coast-to-coast layup for Holmgren. Wembanyama barked in between plays while pressing the inbound like it was an 8 a.m. AAU tournament.
Those moments were worth clutching for anyone dying to see the two compete. But it’s a bottled up glimpse of the reality of the matchup; while each necessary cornerstones, they aren’t in lockstep like people think.
Wembanyama seemingly sought out Holmgren. Holmgren sought the next pass or read.
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The 7-foot-4 rookie saw defense in droves. Jalen Williams or Lu Dort dug underneath him and Holmgren hovered around the rim. Two, three, four defenders. Holmgren’s heaviest burden is manning the rim the way he does.
Holmgren will likely thrive as a complimentary star, never exerting himself beyond his own judgment and being a defensive anchor for a team headed toward the stars. Wembanyama’s season has been proof that he’ll do unfathomable things as a first option.
The two wake up to different worlds. When the time comes, Wembanyama will be forced to hoist a level of responsibility that would even make Goku grunt. Wembanyama’s not far off now.
Still, Chet versus Wemby was always going to be the game within the game, an undeniable storyline that’ll tail their titan frames to the end of time. No matter how much prowess Holmgren displays in blocking the questions. Or how bluntly Daigneault stiffs the sideline inquiries about the matchup. Or how eloquently the Parisian evades the topic.
How two of the game’s most promising young centers move will forever be magnified. They’ve earned that through their skill sets and DNA. Even if Wednesday was an early indication that the clash, more often than not, might not look the way people hope it will.
“It’s obviously like human nature,” said Holmgren, asked if the matchup ever slips into his mind. “But to really be uncommon and not just do whatever else does, you have to kind of fight that. Obviously, that’s the headline that you guys have. That’s what ESPN is promoting, that’s what the NBA is promoting and rightfully so. Vic’s a great player. I think I have a long way to go in this league.
“I plan to be a great player and play a long time. But that doesn’t take away from what the focus is, and the focus is Thunder vs Spurs. We gotta win a basketball game. So you got to make sure you go out, compete at a high level but do the right thing. Falling bait to the matchup can lead you to (not) make winning plays and hurt the team, and I never want to be that guy.”
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Thunder tip-ins
- After scoring a season-high 140 points while shooting 56.3% from the field, OKC tallied its 26th game shooting above 50%, a mark that leads the NBA. The Thunder has made efficiency look easy. A night after the Blazers pushed it further than it would’ve liked, it’s notable that OKC could revert to that mold so quickly. “We leaned on one another and solved problems together,” Daigneault said. “That’s the type of team we want to be. And I think the guys naturally gravitate to that, even when we’re a little off track.”
- Jalen Williams’ seven assists on Wednesday marked his 19th game this season with at least five assists. He had 17 such games last season.