Crafting: Chet Holgren

Chet is one of the more unique talents the game has seen no matter how you look at it. Basketball evaluators are torn in every direction on Holgren. I first saw Minneapolis native as a sophomore in high school.  He has couple of undeniable skills. He is as good of a shot blocker as any NBA draft pick. He can block shots with both hands and changes as many shots as he blocks. His jumper is “true.” He has little to no wasted motion and as long as he plays power forward or center, we won’t be guarded close at the three point line by heavier, slower defenders. His ability to handle the at his size was uncanny. He doesn’t get the ball taken from him while handling the ball full court. His toughness is undeniable. 

The concerns start to mount around Chet in college. Gonzaga basketball has grown in popularity over the last ten years under head coach Mark Few. Gonzaga does not play in a strong conference and while they have been able to garner some talent, the teams in the West Coast Conference (WAC) have not been as fortunate. Chet was hard to gauge in comparison other professional basketball prospects that play in tougher conferences. The biggest of all concerns is his weight. At over seven feet tall, he weighs right at two hundred pounds. He’s rail thin. That can cause he and the Oklahoma City Thunder a lot of problems. It’s going to be interesting to see whether or not Chet can take the force and pounding that centers and power forwards.