"Channeling my inner Lamar Jackson": Chet Holmgren reacts to turning into quarterback with outlet pass vs Heat
OKC Thunder rookie big man Chet Holmgren showcased his playmaking abilities against the Miami Heat on Wednesday with an impressive outlet pass. The play led Holmgren to remark about his blossoming quarterback-like skills.
Early in the third quarter of Wednesday’s contest, Holmgren secured a rebound and quickly threw the ball across the court to fellow rookie Cason Wallace. Wallace then promptly tossed the ball up to a cutting Jalen Williams for a two-handed alley-oop slam.
After the game, Holmgren took to X, formerly Twitter, to comment on the play, comparing himself to NFL superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“Channeling my inner Lamar Jackson, big truss,” Holmgren tweeted.
Holmgren finished with 23 points, nine rebounds, two assists and three blocks on 66.7% shooting as the Thunder won 128-120 in Miami.
Chet Holmgren emulates Nikola Jokic and other star big men who mastered quarterback-like outlet pass
Chet Holmgren is the latest in a series of big men who have mastered throwing quarterback-like outlet passes. Others who were renowned for similar plays include NBA legends such as Wes Unseld, Bill Walton, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.
Additionally, modern-day bigs who have mastered the skill include Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic and Miami Heat big man Kevin Love.
Holmgren has showcased an extremely versatile skill set in his rookie season. In addition to his outlet passing, he has thrived as a rim protector, rebounder and floor-spacer. So, the sky appears to be the limit for the 21-year-old.
Through 36 games, Holmgren is averaging 17.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.6 steals, 2.6 blocks and 1.7 3-pointers per game on 55.5% shooting.
Also Read: "Haven't proven s**t": Chet Holmgren stays grounded despite hot start to NBA career
Chet Holmgren, Thunder continue to dominate
Wednesday’s victory over the Heat marked Chet Holmgren and the Thunder’s 10th in their last 13 games. They continue to gain separation as one of the Western Conference’s top teams, sitting second (25-11) after 36 games. Additionally, they are just 0.5 games behind the first-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves (26-11).
However, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault still sees plenty of room for improvement from his up-and-coming young squad.
“What's put us in this position is we've improved continuously,” Daigneault said. “We prepare for the next game. We execute as best we can. We do our best. We compete together. We understand it's not perfect and then we learn from the good, the bad. And we just rinse and repeat that 82 times ... wherever that lands us.”
The Thunder will work to keep up their success when they host the struggling Portland Trail Blazers (10-26) on Thursday.
Also Read: “He’s not afraid of the moment”: Derrick White sings praises for OKC Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren’s growth