Chet Holmgren

The only thing standing between Chet Holmgren and outright stardom at this point is injuries. He has fallen victim to a couple unfortunate, unlucky lower-body ailments, but the early returns on the former No. 2 pick remain elite. He was one of the best rookies in recent history, masked somewhat by a certain Frenchman in southwest Texas. Holmgren has a great team around him in OKC, but let’s not sell him short.

Put together the perfect ‘modern’ big in a lab and the results will align quite strikingly with Holmgren. He could use a bit more bulk, of course, but Holmgren stands a hair taller than 7-feet with a comical 7-foot-6 wingspan and impressive movement skills. He can switch along the perimeter defensively and cover ground as well as anyone. That schematic versatility is especially valuable in the playoffs. Holmgren has stiff competition on the DPOY front, but I’d imagine he gets at least one under his belt before all is said and done.

Holmgren’s skill set is atypically diverse on the offensive end, too. He’s a legitimate volume shooter with the coordination and ball skills to wreak havoc on drives. Holmgren is a real dribble-pass-shoot threat, of which few exist at his size. He can beat errant closeouts, step confidently into mid-range pull-ups, or get all the way to the rim. Holmgren is vulnerable to heavy contact, but his touch, length, and footwork is enough to offset those concerns more often than not. He’s an elite lob threat and basic finisher inside, but Holmgren can impact all areas of the game when he needs to.