{"id":194084,"date":"2026-05-05T09:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T13:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=194084"},"modified":"2026-05-05T01:34:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T05:34:21","slug":"chet-holmgren-x-factor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/05\/05\/chet-holmgren-x-factor\/","title":{"rendered":"Chet Holmgren Is The X-Factor In Round 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the Thunder enters Round 2 with a lot of confidence<\/a>, Chet Holmgren<\/a> may well make the biggest difference in the coming showdown. Oklahoma City has owned the Los Angeles Lakers for the whole season, going 4-0 in the season series with serious margins of victory. If anything, this spells doom for LA, which barely survived in Round 1 against Houston.<\/p>\n

OKC is a team that relies on its defense<\/a> to win games. While their guards wreak havoc on the open floor, it is Holmgren who makes sure that no one dares touch the paint when he’s on watch. So far, that has been the story for the playoffs. Now it seems that Holmgren will also need to find a way to be active on the offensive end moving forward.<\/p>\n

Chet Holmgren Is The X-Factor In Round 2<\/h2>\n

With the Thunder vs Lakers showdown in the midst, it seems that Holmgren may well step up<\/a> and deliver for his team. He is, after all, an All-Star this season, and he has to continue proving that for the rest of the series.<\/p>\n

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Holmgren’s Defense Is Just Superb<\/h3>\n

While this isn’t the superhuman defense that Victor Wembanyama<\/a> offers, Holmgren’s defense is as good as it gets. Most of Phoenix’s game has been all about attacking the paint, and the Gonzaga product has negated that well with his presence alone. As a defender, Holmgren averaged 2.0 blocks in four games, along with a total of eight for the whole series.<\/p>\n

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SGA:<\/p>\n

"He's special man. I'm gonna sound like a broken record but since the day that Chet Holmgren played for the Oklahoma City Thunder we've been the 1st seed in the west. He anchors the best defense in the league"pic.twitter.com\/AQ7D6VlyNW<\/a><\/p>\n

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) April 23, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n