The Oklahoma City Thunder hope to have a generational talent on their hands with the drafting of Chet Holmgren as the 2nd overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Holmgren has been one of the most talked about prospects coming into the NBA for years and will play on the tanking Thunder team alongside sensational guards like Josh Giddey and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander.
Holmgren is coming from the Gonzaga Bulldogs where he was coached by Mark Few. Gonzaga has been developing quite a few NBA players recently with recent draftees from the school being Jalen Suggs and Rui Hachimura, among others.
Chet’s coach from Gonzaga, Mark Few, spoke to SiriusXM NBA Radio and discussed Holmgren’s work ethic. He said that the team will struggle to get him to work less, as Chet will always be in the gym working on his body or game.
"They're going to have to physically remove him from the building."
@ZagsMBB Head Coach Mark Few gives a preview of what Chet Holmgren will bring to the #Thunder.@talkhoops | @DarthAmin | @okcthunder pic.twitter.com/L2mf0OmXSb
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 17, 2022
“He has a plan, and he is a worker. They’re gonna have to physically remove him from the building at times because he’ll stay down there, he’ll work, he’ll lift… He loves watching film with the staff. He’s extremely driven. I knew that during the recruiting process, but to witness it firsthand was really, really impressive.”
Players that are self-motivated always end up finding ways to make themselves useful in the league. Chet will have a major learning curve in the NBA, especially trying to bang in the post with the existing centers in the league. The only way he gets past that is by working in the gym with the OKC coaching staff.
A team will never be too upset having a player who is a gym rat, so Holmgren is going to fit like a glove in the young Thunder set-up and may set a positive example to the other players on the team. If he out-works everyone, the others will be forced to match his level and that will lead to everyone being better players and more focused on the game.
