“Skinny players have succeeded in the NBA… His success hinges on whether those gifts will allow him to dominate” - Jeremy Woo believes Chet Holmgren could be a defensive anchor in the NBA
With Gonzaga Bulldogs' center Chet Holmgren likely leaving college basketball and preparing for the 2022 NBA Draft, some question whether he will succeed in the NBA. Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo believes he can.
There is an expectation that Chet Holmgren will declare for the 2022 NBA Draft after his one year as a member of the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
During his one year in college, Holmgren showed several positive and negative traits that will make him an intriguing prospect going into the draft process. One of the most significant talking points has been his size, which is both a positive and a negative.
The 7'0'' center is listed at 190 pounds, making him a tall player, but he is significantly lighter than many other centers in the league.
Sports Illustrated's Jeremey Woo recently covered Holmgren and several other prospects in his first mock draft since the end of March Madness.
Chet Holmgren inspires a wider range of opinions in league circles than any player in the draft, due in part to the fact his mix of skills and frame are unconventional.
@JeremyWoo latest projections with March Madness in the rearview mirror trib.al/gVmP0my
One of the main takeaways from the mock draft was his evaluation of Chet Holmgren's size and potential in the NBA.
"Skinny players have succeeded in the NBA, but it’s tough to extract the concerns about his body type from the eval, as his success hinges on whether those gifts will allow him to dominate against grown men. But if everything goes right, Holmgren could be a legit defensive anchor who can be used in a range of ways on the other end."
It is the important word in his evaluation as the "ifs" around Chet Holmgren will be the driving factor in his draft stock. Teams that believe in Holmgren's potential will have him much higher than teams that do not believe in him.
What makes Chet Holmgren such a tricky evaluation for the NBA?
As SI's Jeremy Woo mentioned, there is a broader range of opinions on Chet Holmgren because of everything he brings to the court from a positive and negative standpoint.
Everything about Holmgren makes him one of the most challenging evaluations in the NBA Draft and one of the toughest players to project a role in the league.
Is Chet Holmgren one of the hardest #NBA Draft evaluations ever?
I have concerns about how he can add to his frame, but he's an intriguing prospect because he has a unique set of skills
Takeaways from my first 2022 NBA Mock Draft.
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Chase Senior's point about his position makes it difficult to make projections about his future in the league. While the sport is transitioning into more positionless basketball, Holmgren's strengths did not fit that mold.
One of Holmgren's greatest strengths is his ability to block shots around the rim, which means he needs to be in the paint or be able to rotate into the paint. While that does not force him to play center, it does hurt him if he plays another position.
The trade-off is that playing him at center will mean that many of the centers in the league will test him physically.
For whichever team drafts Chet Holmgren, they will need a team around him to maximize his strengths.