Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not hesitate when asked about Chet Holmgren's future in Oklahoma City. Hours after the defending champion Thunder were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the reigning MVP made the case for his struggling young big man as clearly as he could.
"We need Chet," Gilgeous-Alexander said in his postgame media availability. "Before Chet was here, we weren't who we are today. We didn't have the success we had today. When he's the best version of himself, we're the best version of ourselves. And it's no secret."
Holmgren laboured through the series against the Spurs, with a high of 16 points and a Game 7 line of just four points on one-of-two shooting — most of it generated in a single first-quarter stretch. The numbers were a long way from the two-way force who helped Oklahoma City to a title a year earlier, and they have fuelled an offseason conversation about what the Thunder still need from him.
Gilgeous-Alexander made it plain he is not worried, and that he has no intention of managing Holmgren's summer for him.
"No, I haven't talked to Chet about that. I won't. I also don't feel like I need to," he said when asked whether he would discuss the series with Holmgren. "I didn't perform my greatest series either, and Chet won't come to me with the development plan for the summer."
The MVP went a step further, framing the loss as part of a longer arc for a player still early in his career.
"The version of Chet that we have today is the worst version of Chet he'll ever have. I've said that literally every time I talk about Chet," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "He's going to get better at basketball, and he's just going to be a better player because of the makeup he is, the talent he has. Both those guys work way too hard and love the game way too much for that not to be the case."
For his part, Holmgren did not shy away from his performance. Asked how he would attack the offseason so the series does not repeat itself, he kept the focus internal.
"It comes down to looking at the tape, figuring out where I can improve individually, and then trusting my work through the offseason," he said.
He also offered a candid read on why his shot attempts dried up against San Antonio.
"Part of it was being closed out heavy, and also just being a little bit out of rhythm at times," Holmgren said. "There were definitely opportunities to get more attempts up that I didn't in the moment, and that's an area to improve."
Both players acknowledged that the Spurs present a problem unlike anything else in the league — a young, deep roster built around Victor Wembanyama that could shadow Oklahoma City in the West for years.
"They're a unique team in terms of personnel, what their personnel do," Holmgren said. "I don't think there's another team that has the same kind of play style."
If there was a throughline from both Thunder voices, it was that the sting of a Game 7 exit is something to be used rather than buried.
"You can always learn from the tape, good or bad," Holmgren said. "It hurts a lot more, stings a lot more when it culminates in a loss. There's no running from improvement. That's the mindset."
