Chet Holmgren is the most polarizing rookie in the 2022 NBA draft. For some scouts, Holmgren is simply the most dazzling diamond of the year; but there are also some people who disagree, they even think this guy is even pre-draft. Three don’t match.
The center position in the modern NBA continues to evolve, and the 7-foot-tall, guard-skilled Holmgren may be just the unicorn many teams are looking for; while he’s still subject to skepticism, NCAA stats and highlights point to an advantage : Holmgren’s defense is amazing, making him almost impossible to become a parallel trader.
In the 2010s, the NBA was dominated by flanks, and after entering the new generation, new breeds of elders began to take over the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic have respectively occupied the MVP throne of the past four years for two consecutive years. This year’s top three MVPs even It was them plus another center, Joel Embiid.
The 2022 playoffs have further confirmed the importance of elders. The four teams that have entered the division championship game are all strong teams in the regular season, and the two championship opponents are the best in the league. Defend the lions. And what is the core of defense in the NBA? It’s nothing more than rim protection, and Holmgren is the next basketball guardian in the league.
In his final season at Gonzaga, Holmgren had a 12.6 percent chance of blocking two-pointers, ranking in the top 10 in the nation and leading The Ringer’s top 30 rookies; Ling’s peers who can’t meet the NBA, according to statistics, even if the target is limited to the top 100 college players in the league, this number is still as high as 12.4%! In terms of average data, he can still contribute 3.7 hot pots per game.
And the players below him can’t compare to him at all. The No. 1 pick and No. 3 pick Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith Jr. are all 6 feet 10 inches. In the NBA, the possibility of being pulled up to replace the inside line is not ruled out, but their hot pot blocking ability (blocking rate) is only 2.7% and 3.8% respectively. The level is far less than that of Holmgren.
Holmgren’s college performance is still quite outstanding even in the 21st century. Among the 24 senior players selected in the top five picks after 2002 (at least 25% of the NBA’s games are dominated by insiders), only three blocks are more amazing than him. Of course, only Jaren Jackson Jr., Anthony Davis, and former big shot Greg Oden, who have won the block, are behind Hasheem Thabeet (who joined the Taiwan professional basketball team in the 2020-21 season), Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns. Wait for the star center.
|
player |
draft year |
Blocking rate |
|---|---|---|
|
Years Jackson Jr. |
2018 |
14.3% |
|
Anthony Davis |
2012 |
13.8% |
|
Greg Oden |
2007 |
12.7% |
|
Chet Holmgren |
2022 |
12.6% |
|
Hasheem Thabeet |
2009 |
11.9% |
|
Joel Embiid |
2014 |
11.7% |
|
Karl-Anthony Towns |
2015 |
11.5% |
It’s a significant metric: If ESPN columnist Kevin Pelton writes that college league block percentage has a better chance than any other statistic to translate into actual NBA performance, it’s roughly true on these lists as well, such as if down Looking at this list, there are only 5 players with a block percentage below 5% in college: Marvin Bagley III, Thomas Robinson, Drew Gooden, Cody Zeller and Jahlil Okafor, as big men at the rim, if you’re even in college If the league can’t protect the rim, it’s hard for you to be successful in the NBA.
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In all fairness, a high blocking rate is not enough to ensure a perfect NBA career. For example, frequent injuries have ruined Oden’s great future. Thabeet is also one of the top draft picks in this century, but others can really make us look forward to Holmgren. Unlike the above two failures, he has both mobility and his offensive potential is even more profound.
|
Statistics |
Chet Holmgren |
Hasheem Thabeet |
|---|---|---|
|
Utilization rate USG% |
22% |
19% |
|
Assist Rate |
12% |
3% |
|
Free throw percentage FT% |
72% |
63% |
|
3P |
41 |
0 |
|
Three-pointers attempted 3PA |
105 |
0 |
|
3P% of 3-pointers made |
39% |
n/a |