Chet Holmgren had one of the best years any NBA player could wish for last season. Holmgren played a significant role in the OKC Thunder, which led them to win the Larry O'Brien trophy. However, ESPN's Anthony Slater revealed that the big man wasn't satisfied with his performance last year. Early in the 2024-25 season, Holmgren suffered an unfortunate hip fracture. Due to the injury, the big man missed three months of action. What he worked on during the summer prior went down the drain as he tried to get his body back in shape.“Because it wasn’t a season-ending injury, I think we all underestimate how grueling a rehab that was,” Slater said. “That was worse than your typical rehab, he had to lay motionless in bed, basically, for four weeks. He was in the hospital for a week.Although Holmgren and the Thunder won the championship, the big man wasn't satisfied. He looked at how he played for OKC and noticed how differently he moved. “He watched the film this summer and he didn’t like it. He’s like, ‘I’m slow out there, I’m indecisive at times.’ And he worked all summer to get back to where he felt like he was last season, probably a little bit more.Over the summer, he worked on getting back in shape, and the Thunder has benefited a lot from it. “You’re seeing the dividends right now,” Slater continued. “It’s career-high in points, his rim-protection numbers are ridiculous. He’s been a major part of 20-1. He’s currently the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year and he has All-Star aspirations.”In 17 games so far, Chet Holmgren has averaged 18.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. His current performance has helped the Thunder stay atop the Western Conference standings with a 20-1 record.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sees a little bit of Dirk Nowitzki in Chet HolmgrenChet Holmgren has started to solidify himself as one of the best big men in the NBA. His ability to score almost anywhere on the floor and protect the tin is what makes him valuable for the Thunder. In a recent ESPN piece, Anthony Slater revealed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's views on his teammate. SGA knows Holmgren is capable of making significant offensive contributions. However, the starting center still needs to get stronger and develop his low and midpost game."Then as he continues to get stronger, he will develop his low post and midpost game, kind of the way Dirk Nowitzki did," the reigning league MVP told Slater. Chet Holmgren has shown promise in anchoring the Thunder's defense. Now is the time to take a leap offensively and be the reliable third option behind SGA and Jalen Williams.