Long-Time NBA Guard Praises Thunder Rookie Chet Holmgren

Oklahoma City rookie big man Chet Holmgren has been a frequent topic of conversation over the summer.

After suffering a season ending injury a year ago, the former No. 2 overall pick has been working hard to make an impactful return. Holmgren's hard work seems to have paid off, as the 7-foot-1 center had an impressive showing in the Summer League.

With the former 5-star prospect's high recruiting ranking, his success so far in Summer League action and Holmgren's work ethic, many former and current NBA players have said that they believe in OKC's big man.

“I think Chet is gonna flat out amazing… If Chet continues to help [OKC] out defensively with his length and his size, he can be Defensive Player of the Year down the road.”

NBA vet Darren Collison on Chet Holmgren’s upcoming rookie season ⛈️

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— Cooper Jones (@CooperJNBA) August 18, 2023

Recently, Darren Collison, an 11-year NBA veteran who spent most of his career with the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings, said that he thinks Holmgren will be very successful due to his work ethic.

"I think Chet is going to be, you know, flat out amazing," Collison said. "Chet is somebody that works extremely hard, he doesn't take reps for granted. You look at Chet in the gym, he's going hard."

Collison continued to praise the No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft, saying that Holmgren also has a good basketball IQ and feel for the game.

"He understands the game, even at that age," Collison said of the 21-year-old. "IQ is extremely high."

Collison wrapped up his segment discussing Holmgren by complimenting his defense, saying that the Thunder big man could be one of the league's top defensive players.

"Chet's going to bring something defensively to OKC that they may have been missing or that they probably need from him," Collison said. "I think if Chet continues to, you know, help that team out defensively with his length and his size, I think he has a chance to be Defensive Player of the Year down the road."

Collison is correct saying that the Thunder have been missing a player with Holmgren's skillset. While Oklahoma City has a handful of talented defenders, they have not had a rim protector like Holmgren since Serge Ibaka.

Even then, Ibaka's skill set was different even on defense than that of Holmgren.

Last season, OKC was amongst the bottom ten teams in the NBA for total blocks. To Collison's point, Holmgren should be able to enter the fold and help improve this number immediately.

With other solid defenders like Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams and Aaron Wiggins also on the team, Holmgren won't have to shoulder the entire load defensively as a rookie.

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