The Thunder rookie 7-footer gives up more than 50 pounds to New Orleans center Jonas Valanciunas, and little else.

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Jonas Valanciunas was the first player to get a hand on the missed shot. Usually, that means one thing: the rebound would be his. 

The Pelicans center doesn’t relinquish many, as evidenced by the 20 rebounds he snagged Sunday against the Thunder. 

But minutes into the second half, Valanciunas made the cardinal sin of bringing the ball down near his waist. Jalen Williams grabbed the opportunity and the basketball, refusing to let go. Valanciunas held on, too, and when he raised the ball to pry it from Williams’ grip, Valanciunas lifted Williams, all 6-foot-8 and 211 pounds of him, off the ground. 

For a moment, the Thunder star’s feet were off the court and not by choice.

Valanciunas, you’ve no doubt noticed, is a big man. Listed at 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds, though I’d argue that’s off by at least 15 pounds.

Put him in a suit, and he’d be a Bond villain.

Put him in a football jersey, and he’d be Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.

The Lithuanian Travis Kelce, complete with broad shoulders and a bushy beard, cuts a towering figure even in a league of physical specimens. He’s never been an All-Star, never made an All-NBA team, but that doesn’t make him any less of a load.

And who will the Thunder be sending into the paint to battle him?

Chet Holmgren.

The human string bean.

He’s two inches taller than Valanciunas, but if you buy my belief that Valanciunas is at least 280 pounds, Holmgren gives up more than 70 pounds. And it sure seems like more.

Holmgren surrenders lots of bulk — but not much else.

Valanciunas had an eye-popping 20 rebounds to go along with 13 points on  Sunday. But Holmgren went toe-to-toe with him in the Thunder’s 94-92 victory, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

What’s more, Holmgren had a 5-0 advantage in blocked shots, including the biggest play of the game, a recovery block on a Larry Nance Jr. rainbow shot that led to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s go-ahead and-one in the game’s final minute.

“It’s actually amazing to see Chet fight (Valanciunas) all game because that’s a big fella,” Thunder reserve guard Isaiah Joe said. “He’s strong. He fights for every rebound. He’s gonna go right at your chest.

“So, it’s a big battle for Chet, and he has shown that he can hang with him.”

Remember when we thought Holmgren might have to be clothed in bubble wrap to endure players of Valanciunas’ size? When we suspected a wide body like Valanciunas might break Holmgren in half?

Now, we know better.

Holmgren remains a unique talent, a 7-footer who can handle the ball and shoot the three, protect at the rim and chase on the perimeter. We knew those skills existed when he came into the league.

But this past season showed — and Game 1 affirmed — Holmgren also has another skill that makes him even more daunting.

Unwavering grit.

Holmgren, you’ll remember, played all 82 games of the regular season. A year after missing all 82 games with a foot injury, he played in every single game of his rookie season. No injuries. No rest. No quit.

“The thing about playing all 82, there’s a luck element to that,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said, “because the reason he didn’t play 82 last year was luck.”

Bad luck, but luck nevertheless.

“But there’s also a mentality element,” Daigneault continued “He has an elite mentality. As a competitor, he sees obstacles as a challenge, not a threat. He just has an unbelievable motor for competition. 

“He’ll get knocked down, and he gets back up.”

The basketball wasn’t pretty, but the Thunder gets an all-important Game 1 victory courtesy of defense from rookies Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren.

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That wasn’t figurative Sunday night. Holmgren ended up on the Paycom Center hardwood, lots of times put there by Valanciunas, but there was never a moment where Holmgren looked defeated or overwhelmed.

He didn’t feel like he was perfect by any means.

“Obviously, feeling like I could be better in different situations out there on both ends of the floor,” he said. “But it’s always great to start off with a win, and if I’m starting out 15 (points), 11 (rebounds), five blocks and I can only go up from there, I feel like we’re in a good spot.”

Remember, Sunday was the first playoff game of Holmgren’s career.

A strong performance on the biggest stage of his career against one of the biggest centers in the game didn’t surprise any of his teammates.

“Chet’s a dog,” Joe said. “He’s got an aggressive mentality. He might not have the biggest frame, but I think it starts with his mental. Then on top of that, he’s got long limbs, he’s got long arms, he can contest any shot.”

Thunder reserve Aaron Wiggins said, “Chet’s a different specimen, so on both ends of the court, our guys trust him and we have faith that he has the competitive mindset to give him any type of opportunity or advantage to create something.

“One-of-a-kind type of guy.”

So while some of us look at Valanciunas and wonder how Holmgren is going to deal with someone who could double as an evil henchman sent straight from central casting, plenty of NBA opponents are looking at Holmgren and wondering how they are going to deal with him. 

How are you supposed to go against the long frame, the Inspector Gadget arms, the elite skill and the iron will?

“He’s a pretty sophisticated competitor,” Daigneault said. “For a young player especially, he cares about the details. He’s a craftsman in that way. He’s got an obsessive personality as it relates to trying to cross every T and dot every I with his game, almost to the level of impatience in a good way. 

“He’s always looking for the next best solution.”

Going against Valanciunas and other wide-bodied centers may never be an easy task for Holmgren. He is likely to add some weight, but if he does, it’d probably never be more than 25 or 30 pounds.

He’s always going to be more wiry than wide.

But Holmgren is proving he doesn’t need broad shoulders to carry a heavy load.

“With his wiry build and his length,” Wiggins said, “he’s able to do a lot of things that a lot of basketball players aren’t able to do.

“He’s capable of going out there and competing with anybody.”