After his Denver Nuggets routed the rookie’s Oklahoma City Thunder 128-95 on Sunday, eight-year veteran Nikola Jokic had nothing but praise for Chet Holmgren.

Jokic used his physicality to go over Holmgren in the paint as many times as he wanted, finishing the night with 28 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists. Holmgren did well, finishing with 19 points and four rebounds.

The rookie’s Achilles heel, according to the Serbian-born center, is his small body. “To be honest, I think he should be a little fatter. But, yeah, he has a special gift,” Jokic remarked in an interview.

He noted that the 2022 Draft’s second choice “is a really talented guy, but this is his first year.” He’s still learning the game, how fast it moves, where he has an edge, and where he has a disadvantage. I believe he requires more experience.

Holmgren’s physical appearance

The Gonzaga graduate is the smallest “big man” in the League, at roughly 195 pounds (88kg). That is in comparison to Jokic’s 284lb (129kg), Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 243lb (110kg), and Joel Embiid’s 280lb (127kg).

Holmgren has already faced two of the League’s top three centers. The rookie had previously played Antetokounmpo in the preseason, when the Thunder defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 124-101.

He now has a meeting with Embiid on November 25th, when his club plays the Philadelphia 76ers.

Chet Holmgren’s critics

Although fans questioned if the rookie would be able to survive a collision with the NBA’s elite before the season began, he has fared well thus far.

Fans and critics alike were unconvinced that such a skinny man could handle the NBA’s fast-paced, physical action.

However, the youngster is averaging 27.2 minutes per game, 15.3 points, seven rebounds, and 1.7 assists this season.

It’s worth noting that Holmgren missed his debut season in 2022 due to a fractured foot suffered during the preseason.