Every NBA observer is aware of how strong Oklahoma City’s defense was during the 2024-25 season.
Led by First-Team All-Defense honoree Lu Dort, who was flanked by Second-Team All-Defense representative Jalen Williams and former All-Defensive team member Alex Caruso, among others.
The group’s elite defense helped the Thunder to 68 wins in the regular season and the franchise’s first-ever NBA title. OKC’s impressive defensive effort last year came without star big man Chet Holmgren, who returned for the group’s postseason run.
While Holmgren couldn’t quite find his footing on offense after missing 50 regular season games with a hip injury, the former No. 2 overall selection was crucial to the Thunder’s defense in the playoffs.
Against the Indiana Pacers, Holmgren set a new Game 7 NBA Finals record with 5 blocks, helping the Thunder to a win in the series.
Holmgren’s ability to slot back into the team’s defensive structure shouldn’t be surprising, as he was one of the NBA’s best defensive players last year before suffering an injury. According to a recent study from Todd Whitehead at Sportradar, Holmgren led the NBA in ‘points erased’ during the 2024-25 season.
Whitehead descibes the stat as, “the closest defender on two-point shots. Measured as the average reduction in (expected possesion value) during the final second before the player he was guarding took a shot (totaled up across all the shots he defended in an average game).”
Last season’s leaders in Points Erased* as the closest defender on two-point shots.
*Measured as the average reduction in EPV during the final second before the player he was guarding took a shot (totaled up across all the shots he defended in an average game). pic.twitter.com/P4XLEdIq0K
— Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) November 9, 2025
Victor Wembanyama, Donovan Clingan, Daniel Gafford, Brook Lopez, Walker Kessler, Isaiah Stewart, Rudy Gobert, Jaren Jackson Jr., Anthony Davis, Ivica Zubac and Evan Mobley joined Holmgren on the list.
In 32 games during the 2024-25 season, Holmgren averaged 2.2 blocks per contest, anchoring the Thunder’s stout defense when healthy. This year, those numbers have taken a slight dip, as the 23-year-old is averaging 1.3 blocks per game.
Blocks, of course, aren’t the only way to alter shots, and Holmgren still has plenty of games left to increase his statistical count. Additionally, Holmgren is averaging a steal per game to start the 2025-26 season, which would be a new career high for the Gonzaga product.
After helping the Thunder win a title, Holmgren was awarded a rookie maximum contract extension over the offseason that should keep him in Oklahoma City past 2030. Even during games when Holmgren’s shot isn’t falling, his defensive ability should make him a valuable player for the Thunder throughout the life of his contract.
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