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The OKC Thunder's 2022 No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren has been getting some valuable experience ahead of his rookie season. A clip recently surfaced of Holmgren participating in another “Through The Lens” run against NBA stars such as Kevin Durant, Trae Young and Jalen Green.
In the clip, he can be seen defending Durant, who looked unstoppable as he effortlessly converted a series of step-back and pull-up jumpers. However, Holmgren reportedly held his own against the Phoenix Suns superstar as he scored 31 of his team’s 97 points.
Watch some of the highlights below:
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Also read: Chet Holmgren plays down Rookie of the Year aspirations: "My focus is on helping this team win"
Chet Holmgren on his experience with the USA Select Team
Chet Holmgren’s busy offseason has also included him suiting up for the USA Select Team and competing against the USA Men's National Team in training camp.
During a recent interview with HoopsHype, Holmgren spoke about the valuable knowledge that he gained from the Select Team’s coaching staff. The staff was notably led by Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley.
“It’s been great. It’s great to be able to play against a competition like this and learn from a lot of different coaches who have been in the game for a long time at a lot of different levels and have a lot of different experiences, so it’s good to be able to pick their brains,” Holmgren said.
In a separate interview with USA Basketball’s Tristan Tucker, he later spoke about what it was like to compete against elite talent under FIBA rules.
“It’s great to be able to play up against great competition like all these different dudes out here,” Holmgren said.
“It’s a bit of a different style (than the NBA) with the FIBA style of basketball that USA Basketball is trying to play and get ready for. But at the end of the day, there's still talent out there and it’s great to go up against it.”
Holmgren was then asked if he would be interested in playing for the USA National Team in the future. The 21-year-old big man said that he is looking forward to receiving the opportunity one day.
“It’s always a blessing to represent USA Basketball and put it on your chest, so any opportunity to do that, I’m excited for,” Holmgren said.
Holmgren missed all of last season due to a Lisfranc injury to his right foot which required surgery. However, he has participated in the NBA Summer League, high-level open runs and competed against Team USA since his return from rehab. The big man has also put on considerable weight since last season.
So, all things considered, Holmgren looks more than ready for the start of his rookie season.
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