Why Mark Daigneault, Thunder need an aggressive Chet Holmgren

The shorthanded Oklahoma City Thunder, coming off a rare two consecutive losses at the Paycom Center, will look to bounce back, and Chet Holmgren needs to be a big part of that. The Thunder’s 103-101 loss to the Toronto Raptors should be a turning point for head coach Mark Daigneault and the defending champions, which extends beyond giving Holmgren more opportunities to score at the end of games.

Amidst Holmgren’s breakout season, which has put him in position to make his first All-Star selection, the seven-footer pulled up for a potential game-tying pull-up jumper that was blocked and resulted in a turnover against the Raptors. The play would ultimately decide the outcome of the game. Chet finished with 11 points on 5-of-10 attempts and 10 rebounds. Toronto’s defense held Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to 24 points on 8-of-11 attempts.

While attempts for the team’s second-leading scorer should spike amidst SGA’s shooting struggles and injuries to more than half of Daigneault’s rotation, including two starters, Holmgren’s attempts have dropped to 11.0 per game in January compared to his 11.8 average on the season. Holmgren has to be more aggressive on offense, especially in a game where Gilgeous-Alexander, who takes nearly 20 shots a game, is held to 11.

Daigneault has often said that the Thunder won’t tailor the offense to one particular player, but rather instill the team’s philosophies for countering opposing defenses’ schemes. However, he has to encourage Holmgren to take matters into his own hands at times. The Thunder, missing Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, Ajay Mitchell, and Alex Caruso, could really use the lift, especially from one of only a handful of Thunder players who can create.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who spoke after Sunday’s loss to the Raptors, couldn’t get a shot off in the final 90 seconds of the game.

“Personally, it felt like we had control of the game. We were getting good looks, offensively,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They had 103 points tonight. That usually does it for us. It was just one of those nights.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the Thunder’s loss to the Raptors: “Personally, it felt like we had control of the game. We were getting good looks, offensively. They had 103 points tonight.

That usually does it for us” pic.twitter.com/8ET8RDLCCk

— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) January 26, 2026

The Raptors’ 103 points are the fewest a team has needed to beat the Thunder this season. And it wasn’t one of those games Oklahoma City dropped because of Gilgeous-Alexander. Coming off a game where SGA’s 47 points weren’t enough to beat the Pacers two nights prior, the reigning MVP needs a second go-to option. Sunday’s loss was another winnable game for the Thunder.

Similar to Jalen Williams being Gilgeous-Alexander’s running mate last season, Holmgren has stepped into a similar role in 2025-26, but he hasn’t been nearly as aggressive as Jalen was. Williams averaged 21.6 points on 14.0 attempts per game last season, which is a significant gap in attempts compared to Holmgren’s 11.8. There’s no reason why Chet can’t get the same, or close to the same volume of touches, especially while JDub recovers from a hamstring injury.

Chet Holmgren has to step up amid Thunder injuries

Ahead of hosting the New Orleans Pelicans, the Oklahoma City Thunder added Cason Wallace to its injury report. Wallace, another rotation player, adds to the stack of injuries that the defending champions have accumulated since December. All of the Thunder’s most impactful players affect both ends of the floor, including Cason, Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso, and Isaiah Hartenstein, who are ruled out for Tuesday’s game.

While Kenrich Williams — averaging 15.0 points and 6.6 rebounds in his last three games — has been extraordinary off the bench in Hartenstein and Jalen Williams’ absence in the starting lineup, Chet Holmgren has to be one of the Thunder’s focal points of the offense. After All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren is the second-most capable of putting together 30+ point nights. We’ve seen what an aggressive Chet looks like, and the numbers are staggering.

In games where Holmgren takes 15+ shots, which isn’t often, his scoring spikes to 24.3 points on 65.2% shooting this season. We’ve only seen this kind of scoring from Holmgren in nine games, thus far. However, this is the aggressive Holmgren the Thunder need as it navigates a plethora of injuries that have tested Oklahoma City’s depth, and coach Mark Daigneault’s second unit, which has passed that test with flying colors.

Williams, coupled with Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe’s efficient scoring, is doing their part off the bench. As for Holmgren, he has to be aggressive. This is what All-Stars do for a team, especially alongside a reigning MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s recorded three 40+ point performances in January, thus far, including a 47-point gem on 60% shooting that came in a losing effort.

SGA is doing what most All-Stars do. All-Stars take their game up a notch, especially for their team that’s lost three of its last five games. It’s time for Holmgren to do the same. His 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting in a two-point loss in which the Thunder barely reached 100 won’t cut it.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander campaigns for Chet Holmgren

Ahead of the NBA’s announcement of this year’s All-Star reserves, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander endorsed his Thunder teammate, Chet Holmgren, with very kind words ahead of this year’s star-studded event. Gilgeous-Alexander, who watched Holmgren miss his entire rookie season due to a foot injury, has seen Chet blossom into the champion power forward he is today.

In his All-Star pitch for Holmgren, Gilgeous-Alexander reminded reporters of Chet’s journey, which was filled with adversity. Gilgeous-Alexander also reminded everyone of how much Holmgren undoubtedly contributes to the Thunder’s winning.

“Chet’s kind of been [hauled] by injuries in the past, or else he would have had a few under his belt already,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But his impact in winning is second to none. And if you don’t win, it doesn’t matter. No matter what you’re going for — from the GM to the owner, to the coach, to the players, to the fans–everyone wants to be part of a team that wins. And you adding Chet Holmgren to your group adds wins.

“You’ve seen it here firsthand. And he just continues to grow and get better with his skill and with his game. I’m not sure what his stats are, but it feels like he’s having the best year of his career, offensively. Then, defensively, he’s a monster. To me, it’s a no-brainer. The guy should definitely be an All-Star.”

SGA, Holmgren, and the Thunder will look to end their three-game home stand on a high note when it hosts the Pelicans on Tuesday.

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