While the 2026 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award officially went to Victor Wembanyama, the results confirmed what fans in Oklahoma City already knew: Chet Holmgren is a defensive titan. The NBA announced on Monday that Holmgren finished as the runner-up for the prestigious honor, capping off a season where he served as the foundational anchor for the Thunder’s top-flight defense. Despite the historic nature of Wembanyama’s win—the first unanimous selection in league history—Holmgren’s season remains one for the record books.
The Ballot Breakdown
The voting results painted a picture of a league-wide respect for Holmgren, though the absence of his name on some ballots has sparked immediate controversy:
- The Standings: Holmgren secured 72 second-place votes and 11 third-place votes.
- The “Snub”: Shockingly, Holmgren was left off 13 of the 100 ballots entirely—a move described by insiders as “a travesty” given his elite impact in the pick-and-roll and at the rim.
- The Competition: Detroit’s Ausar Thompson finished as the third finalist, while Thunder teammate Cason Wallace showed the franchise’s defensive depth by finishing seventh in the overall voting.
A Champion’s Resilience
Holmgren’s defensive masterclass this season is even more impressive when considering his journey. Just a year ago, the 7-footer suffered a devastating hip fracture that many feared would alter his career trajectory.
Instead, Holmgren returned with a vengeance. After anchoring the Thunder to their first championship last June—highlighted by a five-block performance in Game 7—he leveled up his game in 2025-26. This season, he held opponents to a mere 46% shooting at the rim, ranking in the 93rd percentile of all defenders.
All-NBA & All-Defensive Locks
While the DPOY trophy heads to San Antonio, Holmgren has positioned himself for a massive haul of postseason honors:
- All-Defensive First Team: With 87 voters placing him in the top three, he is a near-certainty for a First Team nod.
- All-NBA Pursuit: Averaging a career-high 17.1 PPG and 8.9 RPG while shooting 55% from the floor, Holmgren is a leading candidate for an All-NBA Third Team selection.
The Quest for Back-to-Back Titles
For Holmgren, the individual accolades are secondary to the ultimate goal. As the Thunder enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed for the third consecutive year, the focus remains on a repeat. With Holmgren patrolling the paint and Cason Wallace hounding the perimeter, OKC possesses the defensive infrastructure to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy once again this June.
