By Martin Rogers
FOX Sports Columnist
Just to be clear, Chet Holmgren doesn’t look anything like a horse and doesn’t have a horn sticking out the top of his head.
Neither does Kevin Durant. Giannis Antetokounmpo. And no horns on Anthony Davis, none on Nikola Jokić, nor Karl-Anthony Towns.
Yet here we are a few weeks ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft, and Holmgren, like so many really tall guys with exceptional basketball skills before him, is getting labeled with the NBA’s most mysterious and increasingly confusing term.
Unicorn.
In hoops, the mythical creature written about in fantastical literature pieces such as the “Chronicles of Narnia” and “Harry Potter” refers to a big man with the skills typically reserved for someone much smaller. In the case of Holmgren, it is because he is a 7-foot center with the handles of a point guard and can drain it with consistency from downtown.
His size and varied skill set creates a multitude of opposition challenges. His length means he can strongly protect the rim, and despite his slight frame, he has repeatedly shown willingness to stand in the line of fire. He averaged 14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds at Gonzaga, and there is a strong chance he sees off the rival challenges of Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith to claim the No. 1 draft spot, held by lottery winner Orlando.
It is easy to see how a little bulk over the coming years and some general improvement could give Holmgren a chance of being a player in the Antetokounmpo mold, if not quite as dominant as the “Greek Freak.” That enhanced upside is the factor perhaps most likely to sneak him past Banchero and Smith on the Magic’s whiteboard.
Yet, maybe the very principle of assuming that small guys are there to shoot and pass, and big guys exist to rebound and block, is becoming so severely outdated that the sight of a Holmgren-type player shouldn’t be a shock anymore.
Jokić is an other-worldly passer and two-time MVP, despite being 7-foot and possessing a non-spectacular…
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