Chet Holmgren vs Victor Wembanyama: Comparing height, skills and more

Comparing Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama
Comparing Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama's skills

With NBA summer league underway, the Chet Holmgren vs Victor Wembanyama comparisons have begun to fly. Given the fact that both men are incredibly tall and lanky and possess a unique skillset that has impressed fans and analysts, it's no wonder the two are getting compared.

With that in mind, let's look at the Chet Holmgren vs Victor Wembanyama comparisons up close, beginning with height and weight. According to their NBA.com profiles, Chet Holmgren is 7-foot-1, whereas Victor Wembanyama is 7-5, giving him a slight edge in the height category.

At the same time, when looking at the weight of both men, Holmgren's weight gain over the past year has him sitting at a reported 208 pounds. On the flip side, Victor Wembanyama's NBA.com profile lists him as 210 pounds, giving him a slight edge in weight. Many have been concerned that both men will struggle on defense.

When the subject of defending dominant big men like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid surfaces, many believe neither man has the frame to efficiently defend. Given that Chet Holmgren was injured last offseason during ProAm runs guarding LeBron James in the paint, many believe the claim to be true.

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As Holmgren displayed on Monday, with an extra 13 pounds of muscle on him, he can be a force to be feared in the paint. When looking at Victor Wembanyama's blocks per game average from last season, it's clear that he won't let his lanky frame stop him.

During the 2022-23 France-Betclic Elite season, Wembanyama averaged 3.0 bpg. The similarities between the two don't stop there.

Gonzaga v San Francisco
Gonzaga v San Francisco

Chet Holmgren vs Victor Wembanyama - comparing their offensive skills

On the offensive side of the floor, the Chet Holmgren vs Victor Wembanyama comparisons get even more interesting. Leading up to this year's draft, there was a tremendous amount of hype behind Wembanyama as a player with skills we simply hadn't seen before.

As many were quick to point out, however, Wembanyama's skillset is very similar to Chet Holmgren's, especially on offense. Much like the 7-'5 French superstar, Chet Holmgren can handle the ball, and shoot the ball far better than other players his size.

2023 NBA Draft
2023 NBA Draft

Early last season, longtime reporter and NBA insider Dan Patrick spoke about the unique skillset both men possess while discussing Wembanyama:

"He's got skill. He's got a really, really good three-point shot. He likes to play defense. Now he's thin but he appears to be a better version than Chet Holmgren.
"You watch him play. If you just said he's going to play defense, he's going to be a three-point shooter and play defense. He could be an All-star with his abilities.

What stands out the most about the Chet Holmgren vs Victor Wembanyama comparison on offense is the efficiency from beyond the arc. When comparing the stats of both men in their last year before joining the NBA, Holmgren averaged 39.0%, whereas Wembanyama shot just 27.5%.

With Wembanyama set to join the Spurs for their summer league games in Las Vegas, only time will tell how the careers of these two similar players unfold.

(Suggested Reading: Fans react to Chet Holmgren's summer league debut)

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