Spurs' Victor Wembanyama vs. Thunder's Chet Holmgren: Pelicans Player Sounds Off
With how high profile of a prospect Victor Wembanyama was throughout the years leading into him being selected No. 1 overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2023 NBA Draft, there naturally are some polarizing takes about him.
Recently, New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy appeared on the "Road Trippin'" podcast and was asked to pick between Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren or Wembanyama. The catch was, the selection would be for just one year.
"I'm probably gonna take Chet," Murphy said.
Holmgren, who was sidelined for his entire rookie campaign due to a foot injury he suffered while participating in Jamal Crawford's Seattle Pro-Am basketball game, has an extra year of working on his body that Wembanyana did not get. However, Murphy likes the mentality that Holmgren plays with above all else.
"Chet has a little bit of grit to him," Murphy said. "You can tell that he isn't soft. That's, that's the easiest way to say this."
Another factor that went into Murphy's choice is his perception that Holmgren is a more polished talent than Wembanyama, particularly as a shooter.
"[Holmgren] plays with like a sort of tenacity that bigs need and then also he's very skilled and he's a little more polished than Victor is and I feel like he can shoot the ball better," Murphy explained.
Murphy also envisions Holmgren being in a better position to succeed since the Thunder were largely just missing a big that can protect the rim, which Holmgren addresses. Oklahoma City is led by an All-NBA First-Team guard in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with intriguing talents like Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, and others.
"You also have to look at that team, too," Murphy said. "[The Thunder] needed a big last year — needed rim protection. [Holmgren] is going to be great for them."
It remains to be seen how Holmgren and Wembanyama will stack up with each other throughout their whole NBA careers. However, again, it's important to note, the context of Murphy's selection was for the 2023-24 season.
Grant Afseth is an NBA reporter primarily covering the Dallas Mavericks, but also the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, and Orlando Magic for FanNation, as well as the league at larger for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group.
Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).
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