Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren has declared for the 2022 NBA draft, he told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Holmgren is the No. 1 overall prospect on ESPN’s best available players list.
“After a season where we accomplished a lot of great things as both a team and an individual, I feel like I’m in a position to be able to chase my lifelong dream to play in the NBA,” Holmgren told ESPN.
The seven-foot, 195-pound freshman averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 3.7 blocks on .607/.390/.717 shooting in 32 games (26.9 minutes) this season. Holmgren won numerous accolades for his standout season, including second-team All-America, West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and first-team All-WCC, among others.
Holmgren said he hopes he lands with a team that will be a good fit for him, even if it isn’t atop the draft board.
“I understand basketball is a business and going No. 1 doesn’t mean nearly as much as finding a good fit and the right situation,” Holmgren told Wojnarowski. “At the end of the day, I’m hoping for whatever is best for me and my future, and if that’s at No. 1, then that’s great.”
One of the more polarizing and unique top prospects, Holmgren has great length and defensive instincts along with guard-like skills. Holmgren, who turns 20 next month, is a good ball-handler who moves with fluidity and has developed an outside shot, but struggles against stronger, more physically dominant players, according to ESPN’s Mike Schmitz.
Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News reports (via Twitter) that Holmgren has picked Bill Duffy of BDA Sports Management to be his agent. Duffy represents several players, including Mavs star Luka Doncic (per RealGM).
So I wonder which teams he is really scared to be joining? The ones that don’t “fit” him.
“He is scared to join” I think you got it backwards. What teams are scared to draft him. I am terrified of him as a NBA prospect. I can so easily see him being a Darko or Dragan Bender.
I would worry that on draft day, a stiff breeze may carry him off to an unknown location. I presume he walks around with weights in his pockets on any windy days.
Houston doesn’t need a center is what he’s getting at. Indy just traded away Sabonis bc of fit issues with Turner. Detroit, OKC or some of the other lottery jumpers would be good fits.
Holmgren hedges fine so best fit is with a strong player who can cover the perimeter.
Posters say NOT a fit in Sacto with Holmes & Sabonis but I’ve never seen myself, either get a perimeter assignment… probably for good reason.
Thunder has Poku and Magic, Bamba. (Stretched-out position filled… ;D Like bowtie-bearing talking-heads, you don’t want more than one onscreen!)
Weaver GM Pistons likes physical players.
Stone GM Rox likes talented oddballs.
Blazers don’t win without Nurkic.
Pacers with Turner might be best.
This dude is 7 feet and weighs less than 200 lbs? This guy would have never survived in the past eras
@thefallen
The difference is, other than Shaq, most of the true bigs like Olajuwon, Ewing, Alonso, Robinson, Duncan and
(literally fell asleep)… were 22 or 23 when they were drafted. He has to put the work in like Giannis and bulk up in the gym
Holmgren has intriguing skill set. Will need to add 10-15lbs to his frame
10-15? Try more like 35-40…
Chet will be the #1 as a matter of fact… just hope goes to a team that makes him their #1 option going forward, so we can all get to enjoy his unbelievable talent, a real unicorn!
I’m really sad. Kid is over a foot taller than me an I am and I outweigh him by 10 pounds. He needs to put on weight and I need to lose some.
Ball up son
I know there’s a lot of factors involved, but it’s odd that the top rated prospect on many boards was a SECOND team All-American.
Not at all. What would be (very) odd is the top rated prospect being a 1st team AA. Most top rated draft prospects are FR (1 and done’s) and very few FR are 1st team AA’s. That’s usually reserved for upperclassman. CC was a rare FR 1st teamer, but he’s the only one I can remember since Zion/RJ made it (probably undeservingly).
MB3, Trae, and Ayton made 1st team AA same yr
I can’t wait to see that Holmgren-Poku frontline.
Make it happen Sam.
Poku blows.
You me too!! First we had the Twin Towers. Now we will have the Twin Toothpicks!
He better play PG with that weight. NBA centers will eat him alive.
Doofy face. Gangly body. Guy’s a loser.
Try 60 LBs. He’s got good skill set for a 7’. But he can’t show it at 200 LBs. He’s yrs away and that’s if he gains the weight. Only OKC has the time to wait. He will fall to them.
Smith, Banchero, Ivey are top 3. Then it will get interesting.
Holmgren is like Kevin Garnett coming out of high school.
Can he be HALF as good as Garnett?
Would that be good enough?
Holmgren will have the advantage of a team adjusting personnel for him. (Pacers already have!)
I don’t think he needs to put on that much weight… He may not be able to do so anyway. Staying thin keeps weight off the usual bigman vulnerability, the feet.
True but he will certainly need a bit more muscle mass for the pros. He doesn’t even seem “wirey strong” right now.
Shawn Bradley all over again.