by Matt Ravis
Put the Aleksej Pokusevski comparisons to rest. Not only are they lazy — we get it, tall, skinny, and white — they’re just flat out wrong. Holgmren is a legitimate force on the defensive end, and he’s already a better shooter and finisher than Poku.
Is there a downside to Chet? You bet. Injury is a huge concern. But in today’s five-out NBA metagame, he won’t need to be the physically intimidating force you may think is necessary. Pair him with a true five for games against guys like Jokic, Towns, and Embiid and you’ll be just fine.
Offensively, his game will complement well the team’s cornerstones, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey.
My biggest question is this: can he be a primary offensive option? If so, he’s a walking mismatch. Pair that with his defensive prowess and he could compete for one of the league’s best players. If the offense doesn’t come along, he’ll be a connector on the floor. Every team needs that. He will just need to stay healthy and put on as much muscle as possible.