He could pass with aplomb and showcased surprisingly nimble hands. In 36 games off the bench, he averaged 17 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 29.3 minutes per game with improvements in all shooting splits. ", Chet looked him in the eye and said, simply, "No.". David carries himself with a distinct countercultural vibe, and he remembers chafing every time he would get a rebound and a coach would instinctively tell him, "Get it to a guard." Similarly built centers roam NBA courts like guards. Linebacker on his football team. His coordination powered his progression. Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren spoke with Yahoo Sports' Krysten Peek in New York City about potentially being the No. September 29, 2022 3:25 pm CT. Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren met with local media on Thursday for the first time since suffering his Lisfranc injury. 14.2 PTS, 9.6 REB, 3.6 BLK, 41.2% 3PT% (97 3PTA's) Height. Dort is one of the leagues best defensive players when healthy. He moves on to ladder hops, then standing jumps, where he starts on a box, hops down and leaps atop a training table. Sarah and David were home, watching it live on television. Team Grassroots Sizzle -- God love AAU team names -- was full of 8-year-olds who played and won tournaments against 11- and 12-year-olds. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. "If you can play, people respect you. Hes not actively pushing anything. He couldnt do five push-ups without dropping his knees to the ground, couldnt bench-press his body weight and couldnt perform a single pull-up. Worst case: Someone knocks Holmgren into reality, breaking a really long board in half. Local advertisementsorganic ice cream, discount car washes, Blenders basketball leaguehang from the walls. I wonder how much Durant is worrying about his bench press when hes draining a 30-footer with a hand in his face. Strength and size do matter. All Rights Reserved. I kept rolling my eyes. Sandifer was the tough one, bringing a mentality typified by team T-shirts that read, "We Want All The Smoke." 2 UCLA by 20. He couldn't do five push-ups without dropping his knees to the ground, couldn't bench-press his body weight and couldn't. Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren is unlike any college basketball player we've ever known: 'I don't see dudes do that' Special players are rare, but even rarer are one-of-a-kind talents and Holmgren is a . Holmgren, who averaged 14 points, 9.9 rebounds and nearly four blocks per game at Gonzaga, is a consensus top-three pick in the draft, along with Auburn's Jabari Smith and Duke's Paolo Banchero. Still cognizant of how the air in the room changed the moment the 7-foot dad entered the gym, Suggs asked the kid one more question: "Do you want to be as good as these guys? Perhaps this signals maturity or a grasp on his most important class, the basketball-science seminar at P3. Westbrook goes from Lakers' bench to being Clippers' starter,Russell Westbrook not only switched locker rooms at Crypto.com Arena. He was the nations best rim finisher (PPP) with 100-plus possessions (1.64). 1 pick; knee injury) or Ben Simmons (2016 No. This heightened already lofty comparisons, like to a certain future Hall of Famer who roamed outside, drilled triples and stood 6' 10". Chet Holmgren Is Skilled But There Are Questions. 1 recruit then the state of basketball is in trouble. He has taken up residency in the film room, hoping to understand how he will fit into this Thunder team a year from now. Because at the end of the day, if I want to be as good as Im trying to be, those are the guys Im going to have to look eye to eye with on a nightly basis for the next 10 seasons. Around the same time Larry Suggs began predicting that Holmgren would one day be the No. Gonzaga freshman Chet Holmgren was the top high school recruit in his class and is the presumptive No. Chet Holmgren. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft this past June, will miss the entire 2022-23 season with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, the team. As always, the expression on Holmgren's angular face never changes. Super rare, Elliott says, unlike anyone weve ever had. His overall benchmark for sessions is 70%. Dario Saric and Ricky Rubio were lottery picks who played with their overseas clubs for two more years before coming to the NBA. It was more impactful for him to leap, soar, absorb contact, contort and block shots to waiting teammates for easy transition buckets. If he plays to the talent, which he did in spurts at Gonzaga, where he followed his high school and AAU teammate Jalen Suggs, he'll be generational. Enter Larry Suggs, a local AAU coach. When he misses, which is rarely, he bangs his fists together or drops a f---, bro! Best case: Holmgren becomes like Durant, only with a greater defensive impact. Parents, coaches, friends -- they told him not to go out. ", Suggs enlisted a local trainer, Aaron Delaney, to work with Holmgren, and his first words to Delaney were, "I want you to work with an eighth-grader who's going to be the first pick in the NBA draft." What I would argue is more important is that this 7-footer can block a shot, bring the ball up the floor, get by a defender at the three-point line with a behind-the-back dribble, and then dunk it. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. I've got to see him. Chet Holmgren didnt feel like hed arrived in the N.B.A. Within my community, people obviously supported that I'm looking for change.". Larry Suggs looked at David, and then back at Chet. 6 overall pick in 2021 who made the All-Rookie second team). In Ukraine: Every Victory, Sports or Otherwise, Aids Us The Classified Case of the Pro Wrestler Who Helped Beat the Nazis Should Russian Athletes Be Allowed to Compete? For the first half of high school, Holmgrens teams at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis played without a home gym after a deadly natural gas explosion on campus. in frustration. He had never been forced to slow down before. Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren is a potential Thunder target in the NBA Draft. Holmgren hears splash, splash, splash. Al Harrington. "Jalen's had as much to do with Chet's development as anybody," David Holmgren says. But more than that, he was excited about helping a young Thunder roster coalesce into a championship-caliber team. There are moments on the court when Chet Holmgren seems less like a basketball player than a figment of a fevered imagination. . Drafted 2nd overall in the 2022 NBA draft, he played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. His generational defense, size, and mobility make him. His pain vanished. . If you're trying to put Anthony Davis in the same skinny category as Chet Holmgren you're not being honest. On June 23, 2022 Chet Holmgren will find out if he's the #1 NBA pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, a pick held currently by the Orlando Magic. I definitely know how different people feel, and I know certain things are wrong and shouldn't happen.". They also picked UCLAs Peyton Watson at No. "I just felt like I had to be out there," Chet says. I dont think anything can replace playing this year. I was trying to find every great player I could hoop against, Holmgren said. Seeing that nobody was taking him seriously, he began to accelerate, suddenly becoming the world's skinniest big rig. The subconscious is a mystical place, transmitting that cant be right when eyes see what they have never before witnessed. I then tried to explain why Holmgren is good; that hes a 7-footer with a handle who broke a school record for blocks in his first ever college game. There's allegedly a lethal George Gervin-style finger roll latent in the skill set, ready to awaken. But about a minute into the game, as Holmgren was defending James on a fast break, he planted his right foot awkwardly and came up limping. Holmgrens early test results backed up his nickname. If you missed it, we began the scouting report series profiling Paolo Banchero. Most forecasters have Holmgren headed to one of those locales. He can climb trees. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (24.5 ppg in 2021-22) and Josh Giddey (the No. Despite playing only 26.9 minutes per game, Holmgren averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks. They had T-shirts printed that read, No gym, no problem. The back half of his high school career and his freshman season at Gonzaga where he averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and nearly 4 blocks per game were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. You will no doubt hear the word unicorn a lot on draft night; it has become the easiest and laziest way to describe the uniqueness of Holmgren's physique and skill set. Sandifer watched the crowds and opposing teams and coaches, who were nearly all Black, look at Holmgren skeptically before being won over by his game and toughness. The path to an implausible existence began not with a single confident step but several painful (and awkward) ones. Most prognosticators have Smith going first to Orlando, and Holmgren second to Oklahoma City, but pre-draft posturing is the lingua franca of the NBA. Sorry to my uncle if hes reading this, but you absolutely would not. If Holmgren is skinny now, he was whatever is less-than-skinny then. 4 jersey retired the first such honor bestowed by the team in the Oklahoma City era and remains part of the teams front office. From that day forward, for 180 straight days, a streak broken only when Holmgren left to play in the Iverson Classic, he worked out with Delaney. Any discussion eventually devolves into an endless search for comparisons. Chet Holmgren, the No 2 overall pick in this year's draft will miss the entirety of the upcoming NBA season because of a Lisfranc injury to his right foot. He does not. "He's not going to be Shaq," David Holmgren told Suggs. It all depends on whether his 7' 1", 195-pound frame can hold up in the NBA. David Holmgren is sitting in his living room, surrounded by dark wood walls and ceilings, a grand piano on one side and a bookshelf filled with hardcovers on the facing wall. And he didnt feel like hed arrived after starring in the Summer League, setting a record with six blocks in his debut. Think: Tim Duncan, Emeka Okafor, Greg Oden. His arms extend to a condor-like wingspan of 7-foot-6. Of course, that's a little wacky considering Holmgren. A friend pointed Suggs toward the tall kid, but height alone didnt pique his interest. "I had it planned out: I was going to make him quit," Delaney says. "I hoop with everyone in the city," Chet says. All so a pro prospect long tabbed for stardom, one-and-done atGonzaga, can transform from a future NBA star into an actual one. But at the end of the day, thats just how I play basketball. Per team policy, the Thunder declined to make any team medical personnel available for interviews. Hes toiling to realize his evolutionary promise, make sense of what he cannot fully explain and solve a problem that may not, in fact, be one. Theyre movement experts, Elliott says. And, while he would never describe himself that way, the moniker doesnt bother him. We know Chet has a long career ahead of him within our organization and the Oklahoma City community. Ben Simmons went No. The scene is revealing, on near and far horizons, in distinct and contrasting ways. finals, and Trae Young. Teams embrace places like P3 a little more each year, but progress remains slow, despite how much the NBA continues changing. Summer League record with six blocks in July. After sustaining a Lisfranc injury in his right foot during an offseason pro-am event and being ruled out for the 2022-23 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren seems to have . Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren has second-guessed the decisions that led to his season-ending foot injury. If he quits on the workout, I won't work with him again.". With Jalen, he led Minnehaha Academy to state titles in 2019 and 20. "Look at me. "The basketball makes sense, the business makes sense. Aside from picking Holmgren, the Thunder also took Santa Clara guard Jalen Williams at No. Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 25, 2022. The big knock on Kevin Durant coming out of college was that he was too skinny and weak. Holmgren hardly notices the women bending and bouncing, clad in stretch pants and armed with foam rollers, as they warm up for a workout of their own. Holmgren, without any P3 training, leaped 27, which already ranks among the top 10% of NBA high jumpers. The Thunder have not won a playoff series since Durant left and have missed the playoffs the past two seasons. He has none, in what Leidersdorf calls a clean profile that predicts a long career with few missed games. Thats no, um, small thing at his height. And he has to learn to trust it again after a fluke injury like what he had. after the Oklahoma City Thunder selected him with the No. Holmgrens baseline so blew his trainers minds that they considered (not really) sending Gonzagas staff a gift basket. On defense, he protected the rim like a one-man Secret Service detail. So in the late summer, instead of returning home to spend a few months with friends and family in Minneapolis or moving into his new home in Oklahoma City, Holmgren returned to Los Angeles, where he had trained before the draft. I see myself in this new era, new style of basketball, where guys can do everything. Either way, theres no precedent, and thats why Holmgren inspires awe and fear. Chet Holmgren could very well be the first-overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The goal with all this is to marry both sides of his brain, by deploying a pragmatic approach to an endeavor that is inherently creative. Inside an office on that day in Santa Barbara, The Unicorn leans back. The Thunder acquired JaMychal Green and a 2027 protected first-round pick from the Nuggets for the rights to Watson and two future second-round picks. So I got to figure out how to turn it into a blessing, how to make the most out of it., Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren has second-guessed the decisions that led to his season-ending foot injury. A versatile 7-footer who was a second-team Associated Press All-American in his only college season, Holmgren averaged 14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game and ranked fourth nationally with 3.7 blocks per game for the Zags. They polished Suggss creation, adding weight but naturally, so he wouldnt slow down. Its hardly the first time that Holmgren has faced an obstruction on his path. Gonzaga has reached the national championship game in two of the past four tournaments, and has more wins (164) than anyone else in that time. FILE - Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren (34) reacts as he walks to the bench after fouling out next to head coach Mark Few during the second half of a college basketball game against Arkansas in. Selected with the 25th overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, Harrington played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets . Anyone expecting Holmgren to wave off talk of his potential thats now taller than he is or beg for new brakes on the hype train will be surprised. Video appeared to show Holmgren was hurt on a play while defending LeBron James. debut for two full seasons after he was drafted but has since become one of the most dominant centers in the league and a candidate for the Most Valuable Player Award. Chet Holmgren shines in his 1st Summer League game, Keegan Murray rolls along and more from Summer League action in Utah and California. By Associated Press. #2 Overall Pick Chet Holmgren Will Miss The Entire 22/23 NBA Season! Share Watch on Watch on YouTube Watch on YouTube Since the 199293 season, a player has posted higher averages for points, rebounds and blocks 51 times, according to Basketball Reference. Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren (foot) to miss entire 2022-23 season | NBA.com The No. There have been other instances of lottery picks missing what could have been their rookie years, including Jonas Valanciunas the No. The doubts that flutter around him are reminiscent of LukaDoniin 2018. "Chet worked his ass off," Sandifer says. "I thought I was good because I played rec league before," Holmgren says, "but then I walked in there, and everybody was actually good. I was questioning everything down to: Why am I playing defense in a pro-am game? he said. Who could he possibly become? ManyTrae Young, C.J. But Holmgren said that he had put on muscle and weight since the summer and that he was on schedule to return to play next season. He was Suggss proof of concept, part savant, part fast learner, all unicorn. Holmgren sustained a Lisfranc injury in late August and has already been ruled out for the entire 2022-23 season. Kevin Durant was the future, and Larry Suggs was a man who believed every player needed to be trained and coached like a point guard. Because hes already good. I'm listing Holmgren at the. Chet Holmgren, for the first time this season, participated in the end-of-practice shooting competition during an eventual day at Thunder ION. Even as everyone around him practices their personal expressions of incredulity -- and basketball games provide a master class in performative incredulity -- he retains the heavy-lidded, loose-jawed look of the eternally unimpressed. I needed to see.". Holmgren will be a top pick in the draft should he decide to leave Gonzaga after the season. It even happened previously to the Thunder franchise: Nick Collison was the No. And second, think of your worst grammar-school buddy who couldn't play basketball. People tend to get heavier from the time theyre 19 years old, and if you dont believe me, then check my findings in your closest mirror. The results (quite well) formed a better baseline than anticipated. Chet Holmgren has faced eager challengers from the moment he was identified as one of the top players in his high school class way back during his sophomore year at Minneapolis' Minnehaha. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault also spoke about Holmgren's injury. But he is not priming for the NBA draft alone. Scouts and decision-makers, not to mention commentators, partake in it endlessly. OKC's Chet Holmgren said he's even spoken with Joel Embiid about his injury and how to attack the rehab. 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