Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Pacific Northwest Sports audited 34 different mock drafts to see where Gonzaga Bulldogs center Chet Holmgren winds up.
The NBA Draft is very important for the Zags basketball program. On the one hand, it hurts when good players leave, especially underclassmen. But on the other Zags fans can celebrate their recent stars headed to play at the highest levels.
Putting players in the National Basketball Association is some of the best advertising Bulldogs Head Coach Mark Few can get when recruiting prospects. Every one of them has a dream to play in the NBA. Showing them a clear path to their dream brings those recruits to Tacoma.
In 2021, Gonzaga had two players drafted in the lottery, Jalen Suggs (Orlando, 5th overall) and Corey Kispert (Washington, 11th). Chet Holmgren will be another high pick this time around.
After last year’s COVID shuffle, the NBA’s pre-draft season was back to business as usual in 2022. By all reports, Holmgren made a good showing of himself at the combine.
Spanning the internet
The sources we use for the mocks may vary from edition to edition, but they are all credible. This time we included ESPN, USA Today, CBS Sports, Stadium Sports, The Athletic, Sports Illustrated. and more.
Height: 7-1
Weight: 195 pounds
Wingspan: 7-3.5
Highest Draft Spot – Round 1, Orlando Magic, 1st overall.
Lowest Draft Spot – Round 1, Houston Rockets, 3rd overall.
Most Common Draft Spot – Round 1, Oklahoma City Thunder, 2nd overall.
When it comes to skill and determination, just about every scouting report believes Holmgren is the real deal. There are many comparisons to Kristaps Porzingas because Holmgren does so many things well.
But it’s also an unfair comparison. The NBA’s next “Unicorn” has an internal competition level that anyone who coached the 7-3 Latvian wished he had.
What separates Holmgren from the rest of the big men in this draft is his skill level. Until a growth spurt put him literally head and shoulders above his eighth-grade peers, he was a ball-handling guard. That’s why Holmgren has no problems bringing the ball up the floor.
The seven-footer likes to shoot from the outside. There were flashes of success last season, but also inconsistency. Even though he can dribble, pass, and shoot, Holmgren doesn’t ignore the defensive side.
He’s a legitimate inside defender who can swat balls away with a natural ease. Additionally, he moves well and isn’t mismatched very often, even if he has to switch to guard a smaller player.
Of course, the biggest knock on Holmgren is his thin frame. There are some very strong people in the NBA, and he’ll have to adapt.
At the combine, he impressed NBA scouts and execs with his toughness. What Holmgren lacks in bulk, he makes up with intensity.
The Slim Reaper projects to go in the top three; there are no exceptions. His slow start and three-point shooting challenges in 2021-22 don’t change the fact that he’s a highly-skilled player at both ends of the court.
Holmgren has height and wingspan that can’t be taught. Whichever team drafts him will try to bulk him up, but he didn’t shy away from physical contact in college. There might be an early adjustment period to the NBA, but Holmgren will make his mark by the end of the season.
There is a well-defined top tier of this draft class that consists of three players, Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, and Holmgren. Orlando has the top pick. They are enamored with Smith, although it’s no lock the Magic selects the 6-10 forward from Auburn. For his part, Holmgren seems comfortable with going second, and it shows in the mocks.
Of the 34 mock drafts we audited, 28 had Gonzaga’s big man headed to Oklahoma City when the Thunder steps up to the podium at number two. FYI, the six decenters were evenly split with three each, predicting Holmgren goes first to Orlando or third to Houston.
Where do you think the former Gonzaga Bulldogs star Chet Holmgren will go in the NBA draft? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.