The NBA has a lot of elite defenders around the league, but Chet Holmgren is among the best of the best. This season, he is one of the favorites to win the Defensive Player of the Year award.
As the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder need to meet lofty expectations. They are one of the best defensive teams ever, and Holmgren is anchoring them. The Cleveland Cavaliers recently got a close look at this, which led Kenny Atkinson to praise Holmgren.
Holmgren could win the Defensive Player of the Year
Before the season started, Victor Wembanyama was the favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year. He is a superb defender, but he gets injured too often, which could ruin his chances of reaching the 65-game mark.
In contrast to him, Holmgren plays a similar level of defense. He is relatively healthier than Wembanyama, which is a good sign that Holmgren could become the winner of the award come May.
MORE: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander commends Chet Holmgren for being a versatile teammate
In the most recent game against the Cavaliers, Holmgren was phenomenal. He was finding ways to clog up the lane, and he had no trouble matching up against guards on the switch.
This led Atkinson to speak about how Holmgren stifled their offense. Considering this team played with Donovan Mitchell as their star player, struggling on offense is mostly due to the Thunder's tough defense led by Holmgren.
"I’m kind of disappointed with how we read the rim, right? They got Chet Holmgren in there. He’s probably the number one rim protector in the league, and we didn’t kick it out," Atkinson said after losing to the Thunder on Monday.
With that kind of insight from an elite coach, Holmgren's stock continues to rise. This is especially true for his reputation as a defender, as he is one of the best in the league.
The Thunder's players are set for many awards due to their success. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is always the favorite for the MVP nowadays, but it appears that he might get some company with Holmgren possibly winning the Defensive Player of the Year.
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