Chet

Holmgren

With the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference secured earlier this week, the Thunder’s priority has been getting their rotation players to full strength. No Holmgren, Hartenstein or JayWill means that Branden Carlson and Kenrich Williams will play significant minutes on Sunday, as was the case in Friday’s loss to the Nuggets.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren are two of several OKC starters who have already been ruled out of Friday’s contest. The Thunder just came off a back-to-back in Los Angeles, in which both SGA and Holmgren finished with a double-double against the Clippers. They have secured the first seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will have homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

Chet had it all clicking on Wednesday, on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he only missed three shots on the night while using the three-point line to help tally 30 points; his handful of assists shouldn’t be ignored, either. And the versatile big man also dominated the game on the defensive end by combining for six stocks in his 31 minutes of game action. The Clippers had very few answers for him, and the Thunder cruised to a comfortable win to clinch the first seed in the Western Conference.

The Thunder were able to limit the playing time of Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein (five rebounds, two assists and one steal), with the former logging 22 minutes and the latter ten. Cason Wallace (5/2/3/3) replaced Hartenstein in the lineup to begin the third quarter, and Oklahoma City’s available regulars were pretty much done by the end of the third quarter. Hopefully, that bodes well for Holmgren and Hartenstein’s availability for Wednesday’s game against the Clippers.

Holmgren only played 22 minutes due to the lopsided score, but the 23-year-old center had an excellent game. He was efficient on offense, adding four three-pointers. Holmgren has provided top-50 per game value over the last two weeks. The Thunder have four games in the final week of the regular season, starting with a matchup against the Lakers on Tuesday.

Holmgren fouled out of Monday’s contest, but not before coming within arm’s reach of a double-double. The third-year center didn’t look to score much but made over half his shots, and defensively, he showed up with four stocks on the evening. Holmgren has had better games throughout the season, but Monday’s performance was solid from a fantasy standpoint. His final line could have looked better if not for the foul issues that cut his night short.

Holmgren is back after sitting out Friday’s win over the Bulls with a right hip contusion. Sunday’s game is the first of two in as many nights for the Thunder, who host the Pistons on Monday, so Chet could miss that one. Holmgren’s return on Sunday will push Cason Wallace to the bench, lowering the young guard’s fantasy ceiling.

Holmgren has appeared in seven straight games, but he’ll sit out against Chicago while dealing with a right hip contusion. Holmgren’s absence frees up more playing time for Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe, but Jaylin Williams could be the biggest beneficiary from a fantasy standpoint.

The Thunder did not get much production from players not named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Wednesday, including Holmgren. The ten points were the fewest he’s scored in a game in a month, having tallied seven points in a February 24 win over the Raptors. Nights like Wednesday have not been the norm for Holmgren, who has provided fourth-round value in eight-cat formats since the All-Star break. He’ll look to bounce back when the Thunder host the Bulls on Friday.

Holmgren was just one rebound away from securing his third double-double in his last four games. The 23-year-old center was excellent with 17 points and four assists on offense and even had five blocks on the defensive end. Holmgren was 3-of-4 from behind the three-point line after only attempting five three-points over his last three games. He’s provided top-15 per game value over the last two weeks.