Let’s not put Chet Holmgren within the Corridor of Fame simply but
One of many favourite pastimes of sports activities fans has all the time been participant comparisons. That’s very true with school gamers heading into any skilled sport. With basketball prospects, these comparisons start in highschool and comply with them by school and into the NBA for people who make it.
Gonzaga Bulldogs star freshman Chet Holmgren just isn’t totally different. However the newest comparability thrown his means will put tons of strain on the freshman phenom. Yahoo Sports activities spoke with a number of scouts across the NBA and requested about Holmgren’s upside heading into the draft in a few months. One scout even dropped Kevin Durant’s identify when talking about Holmgren.
“His intangibles are off the chart,” one NBA scout said. “He’s so distinctive bodily with all the opposite expertise and skills, and if you happen to’re keen to take that house run swing, he’s completely price it.”
One other scout mentioned:
“It’s the identical factor we heard about Kevin Durant when he was getting into the NBA. He can’t elevate 135 kilos, however he can shoot the hell out of the ball and influence the sport. Chet can have the identical influence in a sport on a unique degree than Durant.”
Speak about excessive reward. That’s a number of the highest reward a school hooper can obtain. I’m not totally on board with it, however there are some similarities. Holmgren, like Durant, can shoot the three (which was uncommon again in 2007), each can deal with the ball higher than most 7-footers, and so they can each take their man off the dribble. Each are tall, skinny, and couldn’t bench press their very own weight as school freshmen.
Holmgren’s lack of higher physique power wouldn’t fear me a lot proper now. What I might fear about is the burden the sort of comparability places on Holmgren’s shoulders. I’m not saying he can’t be an excellent NBA participant, however one other scouting report on Holmgren compares him offensively to Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki. So, already Holmgren is being talked about in the identical sentences as Durant and Nowitzki. These are the very best two taking pictures massive males the NBA has ever seen. If he will be even half of what both of these gamers have been, then he ought to have a fairly stable skilled profession forward.
And is Holmgren even the very best participant on his present workforce? I recall Drew Timme main the comeback towards Memphis final Saturday within the NCAA Match. Holmgren scored simply 9 factors and grabbed 9 rebounds in 29 minutes with the season on the road. Timme went for 25 factors 14 rebounds and put the workforce on his again like he’s accomplished all 12 months. I’m not trying to disparage Chet, however that was the end result. Possibly he’s nearer to Kristaps Porziņģis than KD or Dirk. All I’m saying is typically these comparisons really feel extra like wishful pondering.
Holmgren can be a prime choose within the draft ought to he determine to depart Gonzaga after the season. Many mock drafts have Holmgren because the No. 1 total choose by whoever owns it come June. I’m certain Holmgren could have a protracted profession primarily based on his talent set, however typically this untimely anointing of the “subsequent massive factor” can get loopy.
