clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

YouTube Gold: Chet Holmgren Gets A Big Challenge

They don’t get much bigger than #99

2022 NBA Salt Lake City Summer League - Oklahoma City Thunder v Utah Jazz
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - JULY 05: Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder speaks with teammate Josh Giddey #3 during a NBA Summer League game against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Arena on July 05, 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

Chet Holmgren is one of the most polarizing figures in this year’s NBA Draft. At 7-1, he’s a tremendous defender and has outstanding ballhandling and shooting skills.

The drawback? He weighs just 195 and there’s no guarantee he’ll fill out.

Critics say he’s going to be broken in half; supporters argue that he’s shown tremendous toughness and hasn’t been injured.

Critics respond by pointing to guys like Shawn Bradley, who had a similar frame who never really made it (sadly, the 7-6 Bradley had a bicycle accident and is now a quadriplegic).

Like anyone else, Holmgren will rise or fall on his own merit. You can’t draw a whole lot from this clip where he went up against 7-6 Tacko Fall, but you can see this: Fall is vastly stronger than Holmgren and the rookie didn’t back down.

He finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists and six blocks - in 24 minutes.

There’s a long way to go obviously but this is intriguing.