Chet Holmgren Scouting Report

Welcome to the my first scouting report of the year. I have been watching games and film all season and it is finally time to compile my thoughts into scouting reports, mock drafts, and more big boards. For my first scouting report I’ll be covering the most polarizing player in the draft… Chet Holmgren!

To see my overall thoughts, read until the end.

My Big Board Ranking as of 4/20: 3

Most Impressive Stat

According to HoopsHype Chet Holmgren shot 78.8% from inside the lane this season. Not bad for a skiny guy.

Strengths

• Great ball handler for his size, near unreached territory for a 7 footer
• Awesome off ball defender, will find his way into passing lanes and rack up blocks at the rim
• Incredibly tough, will never give up
• Knack for finding rebounds
• Dominated in West Coast Conference play
• Great shooter for being a 7 footer
• Will instantly become one of the best 7 foot perimeter defenders in the NBA
• Smart player, makes right plays
• Is a good borderline great post defender
• Above average passer for center position
• Almost 0 bust potential because of skill and basketball IQ

Weaknesses

• Flat out is not a center, or atleast yet
• If he “isn’t a center” then his playmaking is not good enough
• Although he is a good shot blocker, will struggle against post players around his height
• Incredibly skinny
• Post skills are elementary, could guard him with smaller players
• Body causes him to get into foul trouble

Best Potential Fits: Pistons, Pelicans, Thunder, Rockets

Worst Potential Fits: Magic, Trail Blazers, Pacers, Kings (they will be on everyone’s bad fit list)

Shades Of: Kristaps Porzingis, Rudy Gobert’s Help Defense, Really No One Else

Best Game: 2/5/22 @BYU

Worst Game: 11/13/21 vs Texas

Best 5 Games Stretch: 1/20/22-2/5/22 (vs San Fransisco, Loyola Maramount, Portland, @San Diego, BYU)

Overall Thoughts

Everyone (especially NBA twitter) wants to either say Chet Holmgren is a future hall of famer or an inevitable bust, but the truth is he will probably be neither. The bust label is the most insulting as there is about a 0% chance someone with his combination of height, skills, and IQ is a bust, this is not Hasheem Thabeet. With that being said factors such as Chet’s body will probably hold him back from becoming a superstar.

Chet’s game starts to make a lot more sense once you stop viewing him as a center. Yes, it is hard to not view a 7 footer as a center but he just isn’t. At his current weight, Chet will be able to be an awesome help defender, but it is hard to see him guarding 240 pound centers. I am a massive believer in Chet’s ability to guard the perimeter, which is all the more reason to view him as a 4 or 3 (yes 3, I am willing to get that crazy). Between Chet’s foot speed, length, and IQ, he could be a nightmare for wings who can’t overpower him on a drive.

On offense, Chet Holmgren is an incredibly skilled 7 foot shooter, but isn’t as dominant inside as you would hope out of someone at his height. Chet posseses ball handling that is nearly unseen before from a player with his size. Holmgren is more than capable of finding the open man and with his size he can make certain passes seem easy. With that being said as a ball handler, Holmgren can be dissapointing as a playmaker with a Ast-TO ratio that is even.

The bottom line is Chet is neither going to be a hall of famer or a bust. If Chet puts it together he can be a couple time all-star but I have a hard time believing he will ever be a top 15 player in the league. If you have the number one pick I wouldn’t take Chet, if you have the number two pick I would consider him, and if you have any pick from 3 on I would pull the trigger on the big man from Gonzaga.

Career Projection: 2x All-Star and Quality Starting Forward