Watch: Chet Holmgren shows defensive potential as he sends Damian Lillard's shot back
Chet Holmgren is having an incredible preseason so far. After outplaying the 2023 NBA Draft's number one prospect, Holmgren has leveled up by well-defending one of the league's top stars today. The OKC Thunder went up against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. As of this publishing, the game is ongoing, and the matchup's outcome could go either way.
Damian Lillard is famous for being one of the league's most lethal scorers today. However, having that kind of reputation doesn't matter for Chet Holmgren. The Thunder big man had the opportunity to guard Lillard during the first few minutes of the first quarter. Dame was looking for his first basket of the night as he attempted a fallaway jumper. Unfortunately, Holmgren's length was overwhelming and he ended up blocking Lillard's shot with ease.
Holmgren, being the youngster that he is, proceeded to taunt by hitting the "too small" pose after swatting Lillard's shot. While this behavior isn't something that would help Chet get in the good graces of the NBA veterans, we can't blame him for acting the way he did considering how satisfying it must've been for him to block one of the best.
Looking at Chet Holmgren's 2023 preseason performances so far
The future seems bright for Chet Holmgren as he demonstrated solid performances in the 2023 NBA Preseason so far. In Holmgren's first preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs, he successfully outmatched Victor Wembanyama by carrying the OKC Thunder to victory and nearly notching a double-double with 21 points and nine rebounds.
Then last Thursday, despite the Thunder coming up short against the Detroit Pistons, Holmgren showed consistency in his game by adding 16 points and four rebounds in 21 minutes of play. Fast forward one week later, Chet is now blocking shots from Damian Lillard and even has the audacity to taunt the seven-time All-Star.
Given the type of performances Chet Holmgren has been showcasing so far, it appears that the Thunder might be a scarier team to watch out for come the 2023-24 regular season. By no means are they championship contenders just yet, however, a playoff appearance from them could be possible this year.