Chet Holmgren was one of the most intriguing players available heading into the 2022 NBA Draft, where he went second overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 7-foot-plus center/forward is one of the most mobile bigs in the game today and has the ability to develop into a three-level scorer while being a tremendous shot blocker. That sort of potential is something to be very excited about.
Chet carried under 200 pounds in his massive frame on Draft night, something people believed could hold him back in the league. Trying to guard bigger players or players in the paint with more than Holmgren’s physical talents is not easy to do, but Chet has done it at the highest level so far.
The Thunder have another big man that looks like Holmgren in Aleksej Pokusevski. Poku is one of the tallest members of the squad and has the same stretchability and versatility that Holmgren has, but not at the same level of potential. However, these two pairing with each other will help improve both their games, basis on what Chet said about Poku, where he coined a nickname for the frontcourt duo.
Chet is embracing the nickname 💪 pic.twitter.com/OTMPCYF2vR
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 27, 2022
Holmgren has been under the spotlight for years now, which explains why he is so comfortable around all the people asking him questions about his future with the Thunder. The player hasn’t even made it a week out of the post-Draft season and is already one of the most beloved players in the league.
Pokusevski may not have as large a fanbase as Holmgren but is an extremely valuable and useful person to have on the team. The skill-set he provides is unique, even though it may be canceled out by Holmgren.
Having both can also lead to the flexibility of playing them separately as well, but playing a forward like Poku next to Chet playing center would be incredibly scary for the league, considering what they bring to the table over the next couple of seasons.
