“I don’t see no damn Kevin Durant… I don’t see 20 and 10” - Shannon Sharpe believes Chet Holmgren won’t be a "beast" in the NBA, says he won’t be a bust either
Chet Holmgren entered the NBA draft as one of the most intriguing and polarizing prospects because of his unique build. While many felt that Holmgren would be either elite or a bust, Shannon Sharpe believes he will be somewhere in between.
On "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," Sharpe spoke about why he does not see Kevin Durant in the OKC Thunder center:
"I don't see no damn Kevin Durant. He's tall. He's skinny. He can shoot the three. Naturally, the comparison when you see tall guys like Kevin Durant come in behind. Emoni Bates, the guy that just transferred from Memphis. You see Chet Holmgren at 7-foot tall. They can shoot the ball, the first thing people says is, 'Oh, that's Kevin Durant.'"
While with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Holmgren showed he could shoot and rim protect. Still, his shooting ability is not the same as Durant's pure scoring prowess.
Sharpe not only believes that Holmgren will not be the next Durant but believes he will not live up to his draft status, saying:
"Ain't gonna be no more Kevin Durant, but here's the thing. I don't see him as being a perennial All-Star, an All-NBA type, which is what I would expect from the No. 2 pick in the draft."
Sharpe believes concerns about Holmgren still exist.
Shannon Sharpe is concerned about Chet Holmgren's consistency and body, despite acknowledging his shot-blocking ability
Holmgren was a polarizing draft prospect because of concerns about how his game would translate to the NBA. Sharpe still has those concerns.
"The concerns that I had with him pre-draft and then watching him play again in summer league are still the same concerns," Sharpe said. "I believe he can block. He will block a lot of shots. He'll be a top three, top five as far as blocked shots because he has a knack.
"He has great timing and anticipation when it comes to blocking shots, but I just haven't seen the consistency."
Going into the summer league, many felt Holmgren needed to show that his smaller frame would not get bullied. So far, that is still the case.
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Sharpe believes Holmgren will only be a shot blocker and fail to be a 20 and 10 player.
"He's so adept and astute at blocking shots, and his timing is so impeccable," Sharpe said. "He'll have a lot of value, but do I believe he'll be a 20 and 10 guy? I don't believe. I don't see 20 and 10 skills.
Holmgren still has plenty of time to reach his potential, but Sharpe does not have faith in him.