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Chet Holmgren and OKC Thunder make a statement in NBA opener, defeating Nuggets

DENVER — Chet Holmgren's boots entered the room in front of him.

His size 16 Chrome Hearts Timberlands reflected his triumphant streak as he strode to the postgame podium after a convincing 102-87 season-opening win over the Nuggets in Denver. Then he put the Wingstop bag down – “I just really enjoy my lemon peppers,” he quipped – as forcefully as the tone with which he led.

But second-grader Holmgren, well-dressed on his first day, barely needed to announce his presence. No introduction necessary.

The world has already been shown a glimpse of another player. This was Holmgren, a 7-foot-tall man who was more vicious and powerful than his frame would suggest. No one who welcomes this version of him is happy to meet him.

“What he did minute by minute with (Nikola) Jokic was not to be taken lightly,” coach Mark Daigneault said.

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In his young career, Holmgren shined against Jokic, winning three of the last four league MVP awards. But he never overshadowed him. Jokic, widely considered the best player in the world, generally has just too tight a grip on every game.

However, Thursday was different. Thursday belonged to Holmgren. A physical and mental battle with one of the game's most manipulative hitters, a powerful statement win without any semblance of an available center behind him, and a box score worth hanging on the fridge: 25 points (11 for 18) , 14 boards, five assists, four blocks and no regard for the rim.

Midway through the third quarter, Holmgren highlighted the night he was having.

Jokic turned the block, Holmgren locked in the post. Jokic's signature chicken wing hook move followed. But Holmgren wasn't out of the game; He could have been a year ago. Holmgren knocked the shot away and delayed further play until the ball found its way back to him.

A reward for standing up, Jokic like a tragic prom date.

Holmgren ended the sequence with a one-handed hammer over Denver's Peyton Watson. He pumped his fist through the air almost all the way to the fans sitting on the baseline.

The was the version of Holmgren that striker Aaron Wiggins had warned about. On a night where Gilgeous-Alexander had a poor performance by his standards (28 points on 11-for-24 shooting, missing the looks he normally enjoys) and the Thunder shot just 22.2% from 3, Holmgren was the answer.

Holmgren and his teammates have taken note of his summer program, a focused approach to being more aggressive inside the arc and challenging those who dare to challenge him. He added strength, along with five pounds.

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Does Holmgren feel stronger?

“I would hope so, because if not, then I’ve done a lot of work for nothing,” he said.

Maybe he's not the best judge. But his teammates watched as he completed a preseason alongside Isaiah Hartenstein, a good litmus test for the impending physical exertion that Holmgren will face almost every night. You already saw what Jokic endured on Thursday.

“Not necessarily in his upper body, but like in his legs,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of Holmgren’s added strength. “He is stronger in terms of endurance. He can take hits and play through them for longer. He was relentless tonight, that's what it feels like.

“All the pickup he’s been playing this summer definitely paid off tonight.”

Had Holmgren not shot 3s on Thursday, which he did at a rate of 37% a year ago, he would have been 11-for-13. Close-outs are fodder for him at this point. Those who chase him away from the 3-point line will have to watch as he stretches across the lane to the rim. There are fewer forced tackles from Holmgren and more forced timeouts from opposing coaches.

A year in OKC’s system can do that. Holmgren has the images in his head. What shots he can fire, when he has to miss a shot to flex his muscles. He is stronger and more decisive, Daigneault noted, which comes with experience.

His task is big as Hartenstein is expected to be out for at least another month. But Holmgren's summer work — focused on being meaner, leaner and punishing the rim — showed on Thursday night. The revolution is just around the corner and on Thursday Holmgren advanced with the troops.

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Thunder fans got as close to an Alex Caruso experience as possible in Game 1.

He stood idle, barking at defensive coverage from the sideline as Isaiah Joe roamed the field with the starters. As he entered the game, he swarmed Jamal Murray and stuck his head in the lane until Murray was startled and watched the ball go out of bounds.

His stats were poor – he finished the game with just two shots and zero points – but his activity was the breath of life that kept the Thunder afloat throughout the game.

The Thunder forced 15 turnovers, rotated and made improbable plays even in small lineups. Caruso led this effort. Then came Cason Wallace with subtle distractions and looking the spitting image of Caruso. Then came the rest of the OKC rotation, which was unforgiving and tried to put a damper on what was already a difficult game in Denver.

Those rotations and activity stifled the Nuggets, who shot an abysmal 7 for 38 from 3-point range.

And when Caruso's team pushed back the Nuggets' first run, he eventually returned to the bench as a pseudo-assistant and full-time irritant.

“It was like the whole line of defenders we throw at people,” Holmgren said. “From Lu (Dort) to (Williams) to Caruso to (Wiggins), even (Isaiah Joe) made big plays tonight. Shai can play defense when neither of us are playing.

“It’s everyone on the list and I think that’s what makes us so hard to play against.”

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The internet is too big, so there's certainly a niche site tracking it, but the Thunder's lifeline didn't live in the box score.

For a team that had gotten to know Hartenstein, whose addition was intended to address OKC's sometimes-desperate need for rebounds, the Thunder fared relatively well on Thursday. Especially compared to his image from a year ago.

The Thunder lost the rebounding battle by eight. It lost the offensive glass number by four. But it kept possessions alive more often and in ways they hadn't even a year ago; There were constant long rebounds, a move that made Tyson Chandler smile somewhere.

“A lot of people come here and lie about why they do this and that, and it’s just like it happens naturally,” Holmgren said. “At least for me personally. I don't know. When Caruso does it, it looks like a skill.

“If I don’t think I can grab it with both hands, I try to give it to a teammate.”

Holmgren had several. His teammates, often challenged by the size of Denver's interior, had even more. To Holmgren, to the edge.

There was a harmonious collective effort that felt different than a year ago and was necessary for the upcoming weeks of surgery without Hartenstein.

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Thunder at Bulls

TIP: Saturday, 7 p.m. at the United Center in Chicago (Fan Duel Sports Network)

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