"It's not his actual jumper" - Jalen Williams sheds light on videos of Chet's strange-looking new shot

In recent days, videos of Chet Holmgren putting up three-point shots in the gym have been making the rounds. In these clips, the Thunder sophomore displayed a seemingly new shooting form that, to put it lightly, looked a bit awkward. This, at least, was the general consensus among those who watched the videos online.

However, Holmgren's teammate, Jalen Williams , has now stepped forward to provide some clarification. In a comment on X (formerly Twitter), the forward explained what led to Chet's sudden change in shooting form.

"It's not his actual jumper y'all, it's a hand placement and arc drill type thing," J-Dub commented , adding two laughing emojis.

Chet's new shooting form

In the footage, Holmgren is seen in the corner, catching passes and attempting three-pointers while being shadowed by a Thunder employee. The big man impressively made six out of seven shots in one video. Despite this accuracy, many observers noted that Chet's shooting form looked quite different from his usual style. Indeed, his shot now had a slower release, appearing unnatural and less fluid, with less off-hand stabilization. Comments range from concern to critique, with some even claiming his shot is now completely broken.

Another interesting observation during practice was that the 22-year-old added more arc to his shot. This likely aligns with what J-Dub mentioned, suggesting it was part of a specific drill. Perhaps this new shooting form is simply something the 7'2" Holmgren wants to incorporate into his toolkit for certain situations next season. By doing so, he could more easily get his shot off against any opponent not named Victor Wembanyama, who stands at an impressive 7'4".

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Following in Fultz's footsteps?

One reason for the critical reaction online can be seen in Markelle Fultz 's curious case. Like Holmgren, who was selected 2nd overall in 2022, Fultz was also a high draft pick—1st overall in 2017. After shooting an impressive .413% from three in college, many expected the Huskies product to continue showcasing that skill.

However, Markelle struggled with his shot immediately in the NBA. These concerns, combined with shoulder injuries, led to multiple jump-shot adjustments. Unfortunately, none of these attempts yielded success and only seemed to further unsettle the then-point guard talent.

While concerns arose about Holmgren following a similar path to now-free agent Fultz, there's a significant difference between them. Unlike Markelle's shooting struggles, the OKC Thunder center showed great potential in this area during his debut NBA season. In the early months of the 2023-24 season, the then-rookie was on pace to join the elite 50-40-90 club. Despite a slight dip in efficiency, Chet ended the year averaging 16.5 points per game with decent shooting splits: .530 from the field, .370 from beyond the arc, and .793 from the free-throw line.

Ultimately, regardless of how Holmgren's shot looks this upcoming season, the key is that he will hit the mark. The Thunder's next chance to test that will be on October 10th in their preseason game against the Houston Rockets.

Related: Chet Holmgren reflects on losing the Rookie of the Year race to Wemby: "It just comes down to who has more voters that believe in their side of the criteria"