With the passing of the 2022 NBA Draft, it’s time to look at some of the picks that took place and to evaluate who could be key players in the upcoming season. In this article, we’re going to take a look at #2 draft pick Chet Holmgren, who was picked by The Oklahoma City Thunder, adding a great young talent to their already very youthful roster. If you don’t know who Chet Holmgren is, or you’re wondering if he’s going to be a good pick for Thunder, we’ve piled everything you need to know about this new addition into this convenient article, giving you the low down on this exciting new talent.
Profile:
Having spent his freshman season at Gonzaga, Holmgren had a rather efficient season, and it is clear that he is bursting with talent. Measuring in at 7 foot tall, and weighing 200 lbs, players of Holmgren’s stature are few and far between. Naturally comparisons will begin to be drawn to Kristaps Porzingis, purely based on their stature, but Thunder will be hoping that Holmgren doesn’t suffer from the same injuries that have plagued Porzingis’ career after such a great start for the New York Knicks.
Rather than worry about the potential for things to go wrong, it’s clear that Thunder are looking at the potential for things to go right for their star man. He’s an incredibly dynamic defender, and makes a great defensive anchor. During his freshman season, he was in the national college top 10 for hoops in block rate, as well as being in the 94th percentile as a defender around the rim, which is extremely promising for Thunder. It’s also worth noting that Holmgren also has a 7 foot 6 wingspan, meaning that he’s always able to affect or block shots with little to no effort. This is also incredibly important if he’s ever caught out of defensive position, then he’s able to recover well thanks to length.
Holmgren’s game isn’t just one sided, and also has some great qualities going forward too, last season he ranked in the 99th percentile around the rim, finishing nearly every shot available to him that was in arms length of the bucket. In addition to this, his 3 point shooter percentage is nearly 40%, making him a great threat from deep on court, and demonstrating some incredibly refined handling skills. The way that things are looking for Holmgren, not even the sky’s the limit, as he’s arguably the draft pick with the most potential.
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What Are The Scouts Saying?
The consensus seems to be for NBA scouts that Holmgren is bringing something entirely new to the NBA, the combination of shot-blocker and shot-maker partnered with his size as well as his ball skills means that he’s a unique addition to the NBA, and is something that other teams will have to build a game plan around ahead of their games against him.
Holmgren’s downside is also his stature, whether he’s able to go on and fulfil his potential is dependent on how his body is able to hold up, but only time will tell.
Holmgren’s Need-To-Knows:
Strengths:
- Tall stature and crazy wingspan, but also the intelligence to be able to use both of these well. Was ranked top 10 amongst all other college players for block rate for Gonzaga.
- Shooting skills are both smooth and crisp, and a 7 footer that can be a scoring threat from anywhere on the court with above the break 3 pointers, both the post, as well as in the mid-range.
- Great ball in hand skills, almost guard-like, and is able to manufacture an offence, especially off the dribble, and is able to take shots over defenders with relative ease.
- Great teammate and positive attitude, as well as being confident and competitive.
Weaknesses:
- His stature and weight means that it is yet to be seen whether he’ll be able to handle a full NBA season with 82 games.
- Although not afraid of contact, he was pushed off at times throughout his freshman season, clear that being physical with him is the key to being successful against him.
- The unicorn-like rarity of his combination of his skills could either be his greatest strength or his biggest weakness, it’s down to Thunder to try and get the best out of his unique skill set.
College Numbers:
- An impressive 19.1% assist rate, and 17.9% turnover rate as a sophomore.
Pre-College:
- 5 Star ranking from 247Sports recruiting, was the number 1 player in the class of 2021.
- He was also the MaxPreps number 1 player of the year for 2020-21.
Most Compared To:
- Kristaps Porzingis
Conclusion:
It’s clear to see that Holmgren has got a lot of potential on the court, but now it’s time to see whether he is able to fulfil that potential and reach the great heights that it is clear he is destined for.
