From can’t play to can’t be stopped: How Chet Holmgren realized Larry Suggs’ vision

Larry Suggs the father of NBA guard Jalen Suggs remembers a man coming up to him during an AAU basketball practice for middle schoolers and asking him a peculiar question Hey the man mentioned where s that awkward white kid that you perpetually had on your basketball association Suggs was confused The kid that was not very good the man clarified Suggs pointed at one of the only white players in the gym No not that kid the man responded That kid over there is pretty good No that s Chet Suggs stated It s the same kid He just grew taller and now he can knock down s The man was stunned Years later Chet Holmgren that awkward white kid from Minneapolis who just turned years old this month is now the second- or third-best athlete on an Oklahoma City club heavily favored to win the NBA title with a chance to secure a Finals trip by beating his hometown Timberwolves Quite a leap for a guy that current Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs once explained came from the bottom of the bottom He didn t even know what basketball was Jalen joked Much less how to play it I inevitably tell people He was the worst kid in your classroom at basketball Larry explained Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren reacts after a play against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of Tournament of an NBA basketball Western Conference Finals playoff series Thursday May in Oklahoma City AP Photo Nate Billings Be like KD So how did Holmgren end up on a youth group with future NBA guards like Jalen Suggs and Tyrell Terry and a slew of other future Division I athletes Larry knew Chet s father Dave Holmgren played for the Gophers He appreciated Chet s willingness to listen and learn in their early conversations and truthfully Suggs held in his own abilities to teach the event Holmgren was an intriguing piece of clay he was eager to mold But it was a process Suggs club unfailingly played four-plus years above its age group That was no issue for several of the players but it made life formidable for Chet who at this point was the same height as everyone else but still in the process of learning the event A lot of people would come and say Hey I just think you should cut him because he s slowing everybody down Larry recalled But they didn t know his progression Only Suggs did He set benchmarks he desired Holmgren to reach by certain points and the participant was hitting them all progressing even a little ahead of Suggs schedule While having a great idea of how tall Holmgren may eventually become given his dad s height Suggs had Holmgren play guard Holmgren and Kerwin Walton who just finished his senior season at Texas Tech were each tasked with getting up jumpers before every practice in an effort to improve their shots and make them legitimately helpful to the players around them Suggs only settled for proper form Learning how to shoot correctly and efficiently required reps Suggs deduced if he could teach Holmgren the same things he taught Terry and his own son the possibilities were endless for the future -footer Even as he began to grow Suggs had Holmgren running off flare screens and firing up -pointers I mentioned I think I can make you like KD Suggs commented in reference to Kevin Durant All grown up For years numerous of the boys on Suggs AAU unit were roughly the same size right around or just above feet Holmgren included But Suggs remembers a period of about a month in which Holmgren shot up -plus inches It was part of a year in which Holmgren revealed he grew inches in total Everything changed Suggs noted the newfound big man had dibs on shotgun during expedition to games No longer could Holmgren share a bed with teammates in hotels because he had to sleep diagonally to fit in them Holmgren had to take intermittent breaks from the sport because of growing pains When he d return to action adaptations were made that included no bending down to touch the line on sprint drills and more bike work Holmgren did physical therapy to adjust his movements and solve strength issues Eventually his body caught up to his bones I kept working on it and particular athleticism came Holmgren noted in Then it kind of just complemented the skill really well He s tough Holmgren is not an exact replica of Kevin Durant by any means While he shot from deep this season his offensive skillset isn t quite as smooth or deep though his capabilities are incredibly impressive for someone his size What makes Holmgren so special is the combination of the offensive skills he does have and the defensive force he imposes Holmgren is one of the challenge s elite shot blockers he swatted shots per battle this season while altering countless others Holmgren patrols the paint like minimal can even while still being far more slender than majority of other NBA players at his position Holmgren is listed at -foot- and just pounds You may be able to overpower Holmgren on occasion But bully him Not a chance In Challenge on Thursday Holmgren threw down a dunk then shouted in the face of Wolves guard Donte DiVincenzo which incited a technical foul Watching at home from his couch Suggs without delay started cackling That a boy he reported He just has that raw emotion like that He s just invariably been like that I ve never explained him to hold it back Suggs reported I stated You have to show your emotions because I don t want anybody to ever take advantage of you And anything down around this basket is yours And no opponent could take it from Holmgren no matter what their strength or mass advantages may be The credit for that Suggs mentioned belongs solely to the sportsman Holmgren first walked into the gym with the same mentality he possesses this day Pain didn t really phase him Suggs noted And being in a different stressful surroundings didn t either Suggs noted Holmgren was reliably running around the Minneapolis with a whole bunch of minorities kidding around and playing basketball Holmgren and Spring Lake Park s Cole Ewald were often the only white kids in the gym They adapted very early to the physicality and to the different social and economic situations that a lot of us were in growing up in in the inner city Suggs mentioned When Holmgren was in high school a college coach called Suggs to ask if the big man was tough Suggs response was He hangs out with a whole bunch of brothers in the inner city What do you think Alright I gotcha the coach revealed He s tough Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren shoots against Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid during the first half of Event of an NBA basketball Western Conference Finals playoff series Tuesday May in Oklahoma City AP Photo Nate Billings A new standard Holmgren has brought Suggs vision for the forward to life and put it on display for all to witness on the battle s biggest stages When Holmgren was young Suggs informed the contestant the heights he inferred he could reach To be the best American-born white athlete since Larry Bird At first that seems like a bar too high to realistically hit But consider the present day s NBA where Holmgren is contending with the likes of guard Tyler Herro and Austin Reaves for that distinction Cooper Flagg won t join this discussion until he s selected No overall in next month s NBA Draft And if you were a franchise aiming to contend for a title Holmgren would be your top choice of those three players On U S soil who s the baddest white boy in the NBA Suggs petitioned It s Chet Holmgren He walks it he talks it he backs it up he s got the swagger he s funny He s got all the metrics And Suggs added he s got a great chance to win the championship