Chet Holmgren Posters Cooper Flagg for ‘Welcome to the NBA’ Moment

No one doubts the idea Cooper Flagg to be one of the best players in the NBA one day. But as a starter for the Dallas Mavericks in transition, he’s sure to have plenty of growing pains. On Monday night, he had a great moment in the NBA Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgrenwho had no intention of making peace with one of the most hyped rookies of all time.

Early in the third quarter, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander handled the ball, drawing two defenders in the process. Just as he felt PJ Washington leaning closer to him than his original man, Holmgren, the Thunder star threw the ball to Holmgren, who decided not to settle for a jumper, taking the ball straight to the hoop.

And with only Flagg standing between Holmgren and the hoop, there always will be one winner — with the Thunder star putting the Mavericks rookie on the poster with a vicious one-handed slam.

Holmgren had his fair share of growing pains as he has over the years, and as one of the best shot blockers in the NBA, he has experienced many similar plays to Flagg over the years. But now that he’s maturing with age and championship experience, the Thunder big man seems to be figuring something out offensively.

The second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft is coming off a game against the Atlanta Hawks in which he scored 31 points, pulled down 11 boards and recorded three steals and a block. With Jaylen Williams out, there is plenty of room for hitting in OKC’s order. And Holmgren appears to be making the most of his opportunity as the team’s undisputed second option on the offensive end.

The Thunder look to extend their unbeaten start to their title defense

The Thunder were pushed to the brink in their first two games of the season, with the Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers pushing them to double overtime. OKC won, and Gilgeous-Alexander reversed his dominance and looked like the league’s MVP in the process.

After taking care of business pretty well against the Atlanta Hawks, the Thunder find themselves in another tight game, with the Mavericks putting pressure on the reigning champions. At the time of this writing, OKC is clinging to a slim three-point lead with about 22 seconds left in the contest.