How Chet Holmgren Is Already Being Counted On
In recent months Victor Wembanyama has - let's be honest - left Chet Holmgren in the dust in regards to the Rookie Of the Year award.
But while the play of Wembanyama has created headlines, Holmgren has benefited equally from being away from them.
The 7-foot-1 rookie center is currently far more busy focusing on putting the Oklahoma City Thunder in the best possible situation before the playoffs, and rightly so. The organization is far ahead of their development curve, and looks like a potential title threat this very season, forcing everyone on the roster to streamline their priorities.
For Holmgren, that comes down to playoff preparation.
While the Thunder might currently be second in the Western Conference, they'll need to go through the best to reach the mountain top. As such, they can't afford the luxury to get picky with their opponents. They - and Holmgren in particular - have to get ready for every conceivable matchup.
Which leads me to this.
The Denver Nuggets are currently the defending champions, and the most well-oiled machine in the NBA.
(Send your complaints to my editor, Celtics fans.)
For the Thunder to get past the Nuggets, which is the intention at the end of the day, Holmgren needs to do a quality job on MVP front runner Nikola Jokić, which is so far beyond a tall task, it's hardly fair. But nevertheless, that's going to be the job description if the two teams find themselves in the Western Conference Finals.
Is Holmgren lowkey the best possible player, of teams expected to make the playoffs in the West, to put on the defending Finals MVP?
You can make a reasonable case that he is, and that's despite the presence of both Rudy Gobert and Draymond Green in that same conference.
Holmgren is far more adept than Gobert away from the basket, and far more effective defending the rim than Green. His long 7-foot-6 wingspan, quick feet, and sneaky athleticism makes for an intriguing recipe for guarding Jokić, who primarily initiates his own offense from the outside-in.
Unlike with Gobert, you can ask Holmgren to guard Jokić out high, and unlike Green, you can expect Holmgren to be more effective challenging shots near the rim.
In theory, Holmgren presents the best combination of tools to actually have an effect on Jokić, even if that expectation is wildly unfair given Holmgren's age and overall lack of experience.
But the fact that I can even make a case - and look myself in the mirror afterwards - for Holmgren having the tools to potentially make life tougher for Jokić than other players in the postseason, underlines how impressive Holmgren is.
What's almost forgotten here is that Holmgren is also potent offensively, leaving Jokić in a position where he will have to assert a vast amount of energy chasing the inside-outside rookie around.
Holmgren's ability to hit outside shots, as well as his finishing abilities near the basket, makes for an efficient opponent who simply can't become an afterthought, even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams on the roster.
This isn't to say Holmgren will take Jokić to school. Far from it. If anything, odds are good it'll be the other way around.
But to have the tools to at least be able to put up a fight - which does seem to be a realistic scenario - is eye-popping, and further underlines the vast potential of the Thunder center.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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