Chet Holmgren or Victor Wembanyama? Current NBA Player Gives His Take

The two top center prospects in this upcoming rookie class will be compared all throughout the season.

There’s a chance that for the next decade or more, Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are compared to one another. Although taken in separate drafts, both were top-two picks and have extremely unique skillsets on both ends.

While we won’t know which ends up being the better player for several years, the debate is already happening.

New Orleans Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III was recently a guest on the Road Trippin’ Podcast in Las Vegas, in which he spent time giving his thoughts on this month’s NBA Summer League. Murphy was asked if he had to take one of Holmgren and Wembanyama for the upcoming season, which he would choose.

“I’m probably gonna take Chet. He has a little bit of grit to him,” Murphy said. “You can tell he isn’t soft. He plays with a sort of tenacity that bigs need. Also, he’s very skilled. He’s a little more polished than Victor is and I feel like he shoots the ball better.”

This is high praise for the incoming rookie, even if the question was specifically around the upcoming season and not a long-term outlook. Holmgren does have an advantage given he was with the team all of last season, but then again he’s going up against Wembanyama, who is considered the best prospect since LeBron James.

Following Murphy’s comments, former NBA player and co-host of the podcast Richard Jefferson gave his thoughts on the Thunder rookie.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins Rookie of the Year,” Jefferson finished the segment with.

The expectations for Holmgren will be high this season, but has what it takes to meet or exceed them. The unique blend of length, mentality and skill makes him a special prospect.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.