![]() That process started long before he enrolled at Gonzaga. Jonathan Givony How much are NBA scouts factoring their evaluations of Holmgren based on the level of Gonzaga's opponents? We have never seen a prospect like him before. Despite towering over opponents, his mobility, lateral quickness and length makes him better equipped for guarding smaller players on the perimeter than strong-framed traditional bigs on the block.Įverything about Holmgren is uncommon, unconventional and completely unfamiliar. Holmgren's ability to ignite Gonzaga's offense by pushing off the defensive glass, go coast to coast acrobatically, and find teammates off a live dribble are things that further separate him from other big men past or present. He is also shooting 74% from 2-point range (better than any projected draft pick), including 49 dunks, more than both Banchero and Smith combined, per Synergy Sports Tech. ![]() By contrast, Holmgren is shooting five 3-pointers per-40 minutes, making 43% of his attempts, better than all but two players currently projected to be drafted, both of whom are under 6-7. Those are also true centers who did their damage inside the paint while physically dominating overmatched college competition. You have to look back to Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon for lottery picks who put up the type of scoring/rebounding/blocking numbers Holmgren has produced on a per-minute basis, and none of them did so as freshmen. None of these players came remotely close to producing the way Holmgren has thus far. The closest physical comparisons we can find are Aleksej Pokusevski, Bol Bol, Chris Boucher, Isaiah Jackson - hardly the most inspiring or imposing group. There are 16 active NBA players who stand over 7-feet, and none of them weigh anywhere close to 195 pounds like Holmgren. Holmgren was measured over 7-feet barefoot by USA Basketball last summer, with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. But for NBA executives whose careers hinge on making the right choice atop June's draft, that can be downright frightening. For draft analysts, that's incredibly exciting. There are no great NBA comparisons that truly capture his rare skill set on both ends of the floor, and that's unnerving in many ways, as we're operating in unfamiliar territory. The "problem" with Holmgren is he's a one-of-a-kind prospect, the likes of which we have simply never seen before. ![]() How does James Wiseman get drafted over LaMelo Ball? Or Marvin Bagley III over Luka Doncic? Special can also be a synonym for scary in the evaluation process. Spend any amount of time with an NBA executive discussing draft prospects, and often the topic will turn to which NBA player future draft picks "remind you of." It's helpful to put prospects in context by comparing them to NBA players, to visualize their pathway to success and gauge their fit on existing rosters. Why is Chet Holmgren so polarizing with NBA scouts?įamiliarity breeds comfort in the world of the NBA draft. ESPN draft experts Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz answer the questions surrounding the most intriguing NBA prospect in quite some time. ET, ESPN and ESPN app) in front of several NBA general managers and 40-plus scouts. 1 seed on Tuesday in Las Vegas when they play Saint Mary's in the WCC tournament final (9 p.m. Holmgren and the Zags will try to wrap up a No. What are the questions surrounding Holmgren's one-of-a-kind frame that makes him so polarizing for NBA scouts? Could a poor showing in the NCAA tournament help catapult Auburn's Jabari Smith or Duke's Paolo Banchero to the top spot in the draft? 1 prospect in high school basketball last year, but with the NCAA tournament right around the corner, Holmgren will be under the microscope in the eyes of NBA scouts. It didn't prevent the 19-year-old from coming to Gonzaga as the No. The 7-foot and 195-pound Holmgren has had his unique frame questioned since his high school days at Minnehaha Academy in Minnesota. Gonzaga freshman Chet Holmgren has been atop ESPN NBA mock drafts all season, but that doesn't mean there aren't questions about his future at the next level in the eyes of scouts. Why is Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren so polarizing with NBA scouts? You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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