Josh Giddey And Chet Holmgren’s Instant Chemistry Is Rare

The Oklahoma City Thunder are going through a rebuild, but have one of the most promising young cores in the NBA. Combine that with the arsenal of draft picks the front office has to work with and the future looks extremely bright in Oklahoma City.

It’s well known that 24-year-old Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the face of the franchise as of today, but a new duo is beginning to form for the Thunder.

In the last two drafts, Thunder GM Sam Presti had top-ten picks to leverage. With those picks, he selected Josh Giddey (No. 6 in 2021) and Chet Holmgren (No. 2 in 2022).

Both extremely unique prospects, they’ve thrived alongside each other in NBA Summer League to this point. They’ve also become incredibly close off the court during this time.

However, this was an instant connection we should have seen coming all along. Even before Holmgren was drafted by Oklahoma City last month, he was already in contact with Giddey and wanted to be a member of the Thunder.

Throughout the pre-draft process, Holmgren and Giddey talked virtually, even though there was no guarantee they’d end up being teammates. These conversations ranged from general advice to what Holmgren could expect during this pivotal time leading up to draft night.

As this virtual friendship began to blossom, there was speculation around the league that Holmgren and his camp wanted to end up in Oklahoma City. With that in mind, the Thunder had the No. 2 overall pick meaning it was no guarantee.

After officially becoming a member of the Thunder, Holmgren confirmed that Oklahoma City was his top choice as he entered the NBA.

“Now that I’m here, I can officially say this is where I wanted to be,” said Holmgren.

Giddey also admitted after the draft that Holmgren was who he hoped the Thunder would land.

“All throughout the pre-draft process, that’s the guy I secretly wanted to play with,” Giddey said on ESPN. “I knew he was a special talent. He can stretch the floor, he protects the ring like I’ve never seen before from a guy his age.”

Within 48 hours of being drafted, Holmgren and Giddey connected and met in person for the first time. They immediately began on-court workouts and preparing for both summer leagues OKC would compete in.

The first of these events took place in Salt Lake City, where Holmgren made his debut in a Thunder uniform. He absolutely dominated, producing 23 points, seven rebounds, six blocks and four assists.

This performance wouldn’t have been possible without playing alongside Giddey. One of the most gifted young passers and facilitators in the NBA, the second-year guard made Holmgren’s life easy on offense, running a two-man game for a good portion of the game.

Giddey himself put together a double-double in that opening contest with 14 points and 11 assists in just 23 minutes.

Not only did these two young players look special on the floor, but the friendship and chemistry shined bright postgame as well. All eyes were on Holmgren following his incredible debut, but he wouldn’t do his postgame interview without Giddey there with him.

The very next game, Giddey posted a triple-double and wouldn’t do his postgame interview without Holmgren, saying that performance wouldn’t be possible without him.

The on-court play early on from these two was spectacular, but the off-court bond was beginning to look even stronger.

There’s already a nickname for this dynamic duo, labeled as Chetmate.

The next stage of competition for this young duo was in Las Vegas, where the Thunder would go up against some of the top draft picks from the last two years. It was a clear step up in competition, but one that Giddey and Holmgren were ready for.

They shined in front of thousands of fans, showing off what this improved Thunder roster could look like in the upcoming season.

The connection between Giddey and Holmgren is hard to miss. There’s rarely more than a few minutes go by where they don’t make something happen in the two-man game they’ve orchestrated to this point in the summer.

Holmgren has often set screens for Giddey at the top of the key, which opens a variety of options for the Thunder offense. That allows Giddey to get to the cup and score, or force defenses to collapse for a kick out to an open man on the perimeter. Additionally, Holmgren is a legitimate lob threat on the roll.

“We’re seeing a lot of different coverages, so we’re just trying to make the right read out of that whether it’s popping rolling, just reading what the weakside defense is doing,” said Giddey in Las Vegas.

When Holmgren’s defenders go under on the screen, he’s able to pop after setting the pick, where he’s knocked down over 40% of his 3-point attempts this summer.

As good as the 7-footer has been, he gives a lot of credit to Giddey for making the transition to the NBA that much easier.

“It helps a lot,” Holmgren said over the weekend. “Having someone who sees the floor well and gets his teammates involves makes life easier for everybody.”

It’s rare to find two players this young that are able to dissect a defense in two-man action. The dribble hand-off between these two has also been effective. Holmgren has the ability to square up to his defender and either pull up from beyond the arc or back him down for a turnaround jumper.

“For me, playing with a guy in the pick-and-roll is a lot of fun,” said Giddey in Las Vegas. “Such a fun guy to play with. The more we play together, the better it’s going to get.”

Through two games in Las Vegas along with the Salt Lake City competitions, Giddey is averaging 12.8 points, 8.8 assists and 6.2 boards per game. Alongside him, Holmgren has produced 15.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and two blocks per contest.

Individually, they’ve both been among the best players in these events. Additionally, they’ve fed off of one another as their strengths align perfectly.

Giddey and Holmgren are both extremely long and versatile for their respective positions. Giddey stands at 6-foot-9 with the ability to play either guard position or as a forward. Holmgren is a true 7-footer with an absurd 7-foot-6 wingspan that can play either spot in the frontcourt and space the floor.

Giddey is actually younger than Holmgren, despite being drafted a year earlier. Once the regular season starts and this duo begins to play with Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City’s other core pieces, the team could get much better quickly.

The Thunder aren’t expected to be contenders by any stretch this season, but the pieces are starting to fall in place.