2022 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Who gets the star big men at the top?

If the Rockets had landed at No. 1, they’d have a tough decision to make between Holmgren, Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith. Here the decision is made for them and they still end up with the player I think makes the most sense for them.

Holmgren is an utterly unique prospect — a 7-foot-1, 195-pound, shot-blocking menace who also shoots and handles the ball like a high-level guard. His handle is extremely polished, although it’s a bit easier for him to leverage in the open court where he has the benefit of space to unfurl his massive frame. He shot better than 40 percent from beyond the arc and should be effective as a spot-up threat and shooting off the dribble. He’s also a fantastic passer with great vision.

There are real concerns about his lack of strength and how that may limit the translation of his shot-blocking and halfcourt creation abilities but he’s going to add strength and it’s difficult to project when we’ve never really seen someone his size who is as agile and skilled on offense. I really like the pairing of him with Alperen Sengun, letting Sengun handle the bigger, stronger defensive matchups with the passing of both players acting as a fulcrum to maximize the shooting and slashing of Holmgren, Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr.