Chet Holmgren mirrors Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's recent comments on surpassing Kevin Durant's 30-point mark

OKC Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren finds himself in a rare position. Upon being drafted No. 2 overall, he already has a superstar teammate. Holmgren recently opened up on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander making franchise history.

SGA has been one of the NBA' top scorers this year, averaging just over 31 a game. Last week, the Thunder star posted his 47th 30-point of the season, tying Kevin Durant for the franchise record.

Recently, Chet Holmgren sat on "The Woj Pod" to discuss a wide range of topics. During the interview, he touched on what it's been like to play alongside such a high-level talent.

"Being on the court with him, makes you appreciate the level of skill and ability that he has. I mean he has taken it up a notch this year, from the 3s to the steals, defence, like he has taken it up a whole another notch this year," Holmgren said.

"It’s amazing to come into this league with somebody like that in your team. Not only to watch the encore stuff and try and take different parts of his game but also to watch the way he structures his life and the way he works, and be able to follow suit."

Gilgeous-Alexander's play has him front and center in the MVP conversation with Nikola Jokic. This season, he is averaging 31.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.4 assists.

Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are tunring OKC Thunder into a contender

After years of stockpiling assets for years, the OKC Thunder have turned into a contender in the Western Conference. Their core is led by the duo of Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

In just their first season together, this pair has taken OKC to the top of the West standings. The Thunder currently sit in first place with a 45-19 record, jockying for position with the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves.

The play of Holmgren and SGA is a big reason why the Tunder are in their current position. Gilgeous-Alexander is playing at an MVP level, while Holmgren has been one of the top first year players in the league. On top of this, they are two players who pride themselves on producing on both ends of the floor.

Following this impressive campaign in the regular season, many have started to change their tune about the Thunder. Even though they lack experience, some feel they have what it takes to pull off a deep run.

No matter how things unfold this year, OKC is set up nicley for the future. They have their cornerstone players, along with a treasure chest full of assets to properly build around them. Seeing that SGA and Chet Holmgren are in the early stages of their careers, OKC should be a perennial contender in the West.