Chet Holmgren enters the 2026/27 season as one of the clearest anchors behind Oklahoma City’s continued championship push, with his defensive impact remaining just as central to the Thunder’s success as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring.
## A League-Best Defense
Holmgren has helped Oklahoma City sustain one of the NBA’s most efficient defenses in recent seasons, protecting the rim at an elite level while also possessing the mobility to defend effectively away from the basket. Our full championship favorites breakdown explains why that defensive foundation makes the Thunder such a genuine title threat again this season.
## The Defensive Player of the Year Conversation
Holmgren has consistently ranked among the league’s shot-blocking leaders and rim-protection metrics since entering the league, regularly appearing in Defensive Player of the Year conversations alongside players like Victor Wembanyama and past winners like Rudy Gobert. Our full Wembanyama update covers how his own defensive impact factors into a similarly stacked award race this season.
## Why His Health Matters
Holmgren has dealt with injury interruptions at points during his career, and staying available across a full 82-game season remains the clearest path to a serious Defensive Player of the Year campaign, given how heavily award voting weighs games played and sustained defensive impact.
## Complementing an Elite Offense
Beyond his defensive value, Holmgren’s ability to stretch the floor and finish around the rim gives Oklahoma City a genuinely modern frontcourt profile, one that pairs seamlessly with Gilgeous-Alexander’s perimeter scoring and playmaking.
## Why This Season Feels Different
With Oklahoma City coming off a franchise-best 64-18 regular season and Gilgeous-Alexander chasing a third straight MVP, Holmgren’s continued defensive excellence gives the Thunder a genuinely complete two-way profile heading into a deep and competitive Western Conference field.
## The Bottom Line
While individual scoring often dominates NBA headlines, Holmgren’s sustained defensive impact remains one of the quieter but most important reasons Oklahoma City enters this season among the league’s clearest championship favorites.