The start of a new NBA season is a beautiful thing because everyone starts off with a clean slate. However, just because the record is 0-0 doesn't mean that some player's aren't bounded by their past baggage.
Chet Holmgren is one of those people. Despite already being an NBA Champion, a Runner-Up for Defensive Player of the Year, and an All-Star before turning 25, Holmgren has been surrounded with controversy over the last few months.
That's because of how his season ended. The Oklahoma City Thunder fell just one win short of making their second NBA Finals appearance in as many years. When a series is that tightly-contested, everyone is looking for someone to blame, and unfortuntately for Holmgren, he was the victim of this scrutiny.
Holmgren had the worst playoff series of his career, averaging just 10.7 points in seven games against the San Antonio Spurs. His previous playoff career-low came in the 2025 NBA Finals, where he averaged just 12.3 points. In both instances, Holmgren's frailer frame failed (try saying that three times fast) against more physical levels of competition that you tend to see in the later rounds.
All this is a long way of saying that Holmgren was too skinny for some people's liking, and that he needed to put on some muscle if he wanted to take his game to the next level. Fortunately, for fans of the team, Holmgren did just that!
The bulk of the century
Clemente Almanza, Thunder writer over at the Thunder Wire, made waves on X (formerly known as "Twitter") by noting the change in Holmgren's weight from the start of last training camp until now. Sit down, because the amount may put Giannis Antetokounmpo's body transformation to shame:
Chet Holmgren has gained weight from last year’s training camp to now. He went from 213 lbs to 215 lbs
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) September 28, 2026
Two pounds!!! Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs stand no chance now!! Not only will teams no longer be able to guard Holmgren with their non-centers, but they'll have to play three bigs at once to even have a chance at stopping him.
On a serious note, there is a huge difference between weight room strength and the functional strength you need for basketball. The former typically requires an increase in weight to accomplish. Meanwhile, that isn't always the case for the latter.
Also, so what if Holmgren has a weakness (both physically and literally)? So do all other players that have ever existed in NBA history. Yes, Shaquille O'Neal was an unstoppable force, but he also struggled with endurance. LeBron James has the size to guard numerous positions, but even in his prime, he struggled guarding smaller players who could change directions sharply.
Every attribute comes with a strength and weakness. Holmgren's length makes him a gifted shot blocker, and his agility allows him to be versatile in the schemes and matchups he commands. Yes, he struggles with physicality, but we wouldn't even be magnifying this flaw if Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell were healthy in the Western Conference Finals.
Okay, now that I have added some nuance to this discourse. Some players who weigh more than Holmgren (7-foot-1) — Isaac Okoro (6-foot-4), Buddy Hield (6-foot-4), Jrue Holiday (6-foot-4), his former teammate Luguentz Dort (6-foot-4), and Daeqwon Plowden (6-foot-4).
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