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The perfect teams for the top 4 prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft

By Dan Bennett

NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 02: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Duke Blue Devils puts up a shot against Brady Manek #45 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 2, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 02: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Duke Blue Devils puts up a shot against Brady Manek #45 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 2, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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2022 NBA Draft
PORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 19: Chet Holmgren #34 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs drives passed Jalen Duren #2 of the Memphis Tigers during the second half in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2022 in Portland, Oregon, The perfect teams for the top 4 prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

The perfect teams for the top 4 prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft: Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder

The Gonzaga big man is widely considered to go in the top three, and while the Oklahoma City Thunder currently have the fourth best odds in the lottery, should the team move up, Holmgren would make a lot of sense on their roster.

OKC has limited options at the center and power forward positions. The team’s rotation at those spots is currently made up of experienced bench players and young players who have yet to really convince, like Aleksej Pokusevski, for example.

Chet Holmgren, with his unique skillset for a 7-footer, would immediately be a primary option at the four or the five. He might benefit more from playing alongside an experienced center to begin with so that he can have more of a free role on defense, using his high IQ and blocking ability to cause havoc on the defensive end.

OKC might have been the fourth worst team in the NBA last season, but the team’s defense outperformed that ranking considerably. The Thunder had the 17th best defensive rating in the NBA, giving up 111.7 points per 100 possessions.

The team has a solid defensive foundation which Holmgren could certainly add to and improve, potentially propelling the team closer to playoff contention. Where OKC struggled was on offense, scoring just 103.8 points per 100 possessions which was dead last in the NBA.

But Holmgren would add a new dimension to this faltering offense. The Gonzaga big man would benefit from the playmaking of Josh Giddey, who could find him in space beyond the three-point line or when making cuts to the basket.

And pairing him with a borderline All-Star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 24.5 points per game last season, is also an exciting proposition.

One of the areas where the team fell short this season was in its three-point shooting, making a league worst 32.3 percent of their attempts. Adding a solid shooter in Holmgren addresses this issue and would ensure that he has plenty of opportunities to let fly from deep given the team’s lack of shooters.

In truth, Holmgren has the skillset to fit in on any of these teams but OKC stands out as a very intriguing destination for a very intriguing player.