Since being on the NBA’s radar, Oklahoma City Thunder rookie center Chet Holmgren has received plenty of comparisons to fellow skilled seven-footers.
One of the more popular names is Boston Celtics starter Kristaps Porzingis, who’s enjoying a successful year with arguably the best team in the league.
But before he became the Celtics’ starting forward, Porzingis also received similar hype levels Holmgren currently is experiencing.
The 28-year-old was the No. 4 pick in the 2015 NBA draft by the New York Knicks, his player profile often viewed him as a seven-footer who can handle and shoot the ball.
Injuries hampered this from materializing, but Porzingis has carved out a nice career for himself over the years. When asked about Holmgren following the Thunder’s win over the Celtics, the former All-Star was very complimentary to his fellow seven-footer.
“I love his mindset,” Porzingis said. “Just the way he plays, you can tell that he’s a hard worker and he’s playing really hard. And honestly, I’m a little bit surprised. Like, he’s really good, he’s really good. And he’s already effective on a really good team. So, he’s the real deal. He’s the real deal and I think he’s only going to get better. But especially as a rookie, what I’m most surprised by is his effectiveness, his efficiency. He has a bright future ahead of him if he keeps going in this direction.”
Kristaps Porzingis was very impressed by Chet Holmgren in last night's Celtics loss:
"Honestly, I'm a little bit surprised. He's really good. He's already really effective on a really, really good team. He's the real deal."
(via @NBCSBoston) pic.twitter.com/z6YwYEYIhh
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzellNBA) January 3, 2024
As the Thunder takes the league by storm, Holmgren continues to receive plenty of praise from his colleagues for his strong rookie campaign. It seems like OKC hit a grand slam with the No. 2 pick in 2022 despite needing to wait a season.
