"Chet is making a statement" - Skip Bayless praises Chet Holmgren's performance against Nikola Jokic

The Oklahoma City Thunder faced a challenging start to their 2024-25 season against the Denver Nuggets. Despite the pressure to topple the 2023 champs on their home court, the young OKC team took control from tip-off, largely thanks to Chet Holmgren 's impressive display.

Witnessing the 22-year-old outperform Nikola Jokic, Skip Bayless couldn't help but gush over the Gonzaga Bulldogs product's stellar performance.

Bayless applauds Holmgren

Chet made sure not to let Jokic control the pace of the game on Thursday night. Even though the Serbian still put up a triple-double—he had 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists—Holmgren did a great job defending the three-time MVP winner, all while staying out of foul trouble.

Chet himself had 25 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks to lead the Thunder to a 102-87 victory. He shot 11-15 from the field and 3-5 from the free-throw line and finished with the best +/- out of OKC's starters, who all scored in double digits.

Witnessing a sophomore big man shine against "The Joker" on both ends of the floor, Bayless dropped high praise on the Thunder's budding star.

"So far, Chet Holmgren is completely outplaying Joker," the veteran analyst wrote . "So stunning. So significant. So far, Chet is making a statement."

The ceiling is high for the Thunder

With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on track for another All-NBA season—he had a game-high 28 points against the Nuggets—OKC's hopes for a deep playoff run depend on finding a reliable Robin to the Canadian star's Batman. Based on what Chet showed in their season opener, he may be that guy for OKC, especially as a two-way force.

It will be interesting to see if the Gonzaga stud can continue displaying the same dominance throughout the rest of the campaign. If he does, the Thunder will undoubtedly be the favorite to (at least) come out of the Western Conference.

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