“He is going to cause such little resistance” - Nick Wright expresses concern for Chet Holmgren as he gets injured while trying to defend LeBron James
OKC Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren has been in the spotlight throughout the offseason. He's sparkled at times, but he's also been physically overmatched at other times.
After Holmgren rolled his ankle after defending a transition layup against LeBron James recently, another wave of concern and criticism rolled in. The skeptics have come out to wonder if this could be a sign of what's to come. Analyst Nick Wright is among those concerned about Holmgren's thin frame.
"It's likely that this is just bad luck – and I know everyone expects me to crush Chester. ... But maybe it is absolutely a sign of what I am concerned about," Wright said on 'What's Wright? With Nick Wright.' "Which is the guy's biggest strength – right now, this moment – is supposed to be his defense.
And, yes, he is going to be able to get to block shots from places other guys can't. But when it comes to guys bodying into him, he is going to cause such little resistance and it is going to have such a little ill effect on their ability to finish as long as they can handle the contact and knock him away."
After being selected second in the 2022 draft, Holmgren put on a show at the Las Vegas Summer League. The talented big man has also participated in a number of pro-am games. One of those was the "Crawsover" game, which included some top stars like Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics and LeBron James of the LA Lakers.
Chet Holmgren looks to make a statement in rookie season
Throughout his days in college basketball last year, big man Chet Holmgren, who is 7-foot, 195 pounds, has been counted out due to his thin frame.
But Holmgren was hurt during a play that can routinely happen at any moment in basketball. Although the talented rookie has been criticized for his lack of strength throughout his young career, he's still remained healthy and hasn't suffered any notable injuries.
#Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren already mixing it up with NBA stars Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Trae Young and Victor Oladipo. He’ll see LeBron James tomorrow at @thecrawsover. https://t.co/jMYbCswCoz
Holmgren has the tools to be one of the league's top defensive players early on in his career. He has the anticipation and awareness to be a transformational type of talent for the OKC Thunder. Although the recent injury will get plenty of attention, there's still plenty of great basketball ahead of Holmgren.