We’re all obsessed with Victor Wembanyama’s size and skill set, but Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren could use the same offense with similar size. On the defensive end, we rarely see examples of Holmgren becoming a great defender right out of the gate. Although we all know that Holmgren has a lack of confrontation, his instincts, positioning and size can still make up for some problems…
We’re all obsessed with Victor Wembanyama’s size and skill set, but Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren could use the same offense with similar size. On the defensive end, we rarely see examples of Holmgren becoming a great defender right out of the gate. Although we all know that Holmgren has a lack of confrontation problems, his instincts, positioning and size can still make up for some problems.
Specifically, Holmgren, who is only 21 years old, has already demonstrated superb vertical defensive art. This is quite a challenge for any post player trying to get rid of him.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Before we get into why Holmgren takes so many shots and keeps his foul count down, let’s first understand how the NBA sets the rules:
First, defenders can only make contact with attackers while defending in the air. If the defensive player has not yet taken off and is in the penalty area, the defender will be called for a foul even if the offensive player is only preparing to shoot. The defender can only block in front of the opponent by jumping vertically. If the defensive player jumps or jumps to the side of the offensive player, he will be charged with a blocking foul. In addition, the defender may land behind the take-off point due to the collision of the offensive player, which is allowed. The defender’s body (arms, hands, torso, legs, and feet) must be straight up and down, almost in line with the floor. If a defensive player tilts his arms forward or kicks his legs toward an oncoming offensive player, he will be assessed a blocking foul. Defenders cannot move sideways against defenders. If he does so, he will be charged a blocking foul.
Next let’s take a look at Chet Holmgren’s demonstration:
From the video we can see that Holmgren’s arms are fully extended and straight. His body also landed at the starting point. He didn’t lean toward the attacker, or even jump toward the attacker.
In the next clip, you can see Holmgren still keeping his arms and body straight. Although he didn’t jump completely straight this time, it was still legal in the situation as he was only “jumping back slightly” to “absorb the impact” of Evan Mobley’s cut.
It was another perfect demonstration of hot pot, and Holmgren had seven blocks in his second NBA game, an Oklahoma City Thunder rookie record.
In addition, it is worth noting that Holmgren tends to keep the ball on the court after blocking the hot pot, allowing teammates to pick up defensive rebounds and promote transition fast breaks. These are the benefits of Holmgren’s vertical take-off.
The vertical jump greatly limits the possibility of being called for a foul, which is why Holmgren has been active on the defensive end, but he only commits 3.4 fouls per game.
In the Thunder’s first game against the Bulls, Holmgren didn’t have the best numbers, but don’t let the numbers fool you. Even when he’s not producing, he’ll keep his arms raised, his body vertical, and his jumps straight to keep shooting, and he won’t get fouled. We can look at the following clip:
The reason why Holmgren was whistled here was because he interfered at an angle after taking off. Since Isaac Okoro collected the ball farther away, Holmgren was forced to jump from point A to point B to interfere with the shot.
Otherwise, Holmgren’s posture is essentially perfect, with his hands and body constantly perpendicular to the ground. This shows that he has developed instincts and muscle memory, and even if he cannot fall completely vertically every time during the game, or is unlikely to be completely natural vertically all the time, he still tends to use the most legal defensive posture and positioning.
That’s why Chet Holmgren has the size, skill and smarts to become an elite hotpot chef. If nothing else, Holmgren will likely be one of the NBA’s top defenders for years to come.
[Special Editor Lin Changyi/Responsible Editor Xie Yiqian]
Reference for compiling this article:Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren has already mastered the most important rule of shot-blocking
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2023-11-11 12:55:47
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