Many people wonder why Chet Holmgren is declared a rookie for the 2023-2024 NBA season. Currently, Holmgren is a rookie for the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a Lisfranc injury to his right foot that caused him to miss the entire 2022-2023 NBA season. This 7’1” player handling the center and power forward positions was drafted 2nd overall in the 2022 NBA draft. As a consensus five-star recruit in high school, he is the number-one player in the 2021 class. Holmgren was later drafted from Gonzaga University’s basketball team.
Holmgren’s seasonal stats are 16.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 53.5 field goal percentage. His return to the court has instantly elevated his team’s success. “His talent speaks for itself, so he was impactful right off the bat because of how talented he is and how ready he was at the beginning,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. Right now, the Thunder are 37-17 and have the third-best winning record in the whole league.
The offensive shooting performance of Holmgren is historic this season, and he has elevated his team’s offense. He hit at least 50 percent of his shots, 39 percent of his threes, and 77 percent of his free throws while attempting at least 200 threes and is the first rookie to do so. He is also smart and has a great shot selection. He has a strong handle for his size and is efficient at shooting mid-range shots and driving the ball to the basket. Holmgren also can get to the foul line often, and that is not something many rookies can do.
Holmgren has added a huge defensive presence to the Thunder that impacts the entire floor. He constantly deters traffic away from the paint with his shot-blocking gravity and the vertical space that he congests. He can switch onto smaller players on the perimeter and block shots at the rim. He is known for his elite shot-blocking ability due to his height, wingspan, and timing. He is averaging 2.6 blocks per game.
The San Antonio Spurs had a field day during the 2023 NBA draft because they landed sensational talent Victor Wembanyama who is considered one of the best basketball prospects of his generation. Wembanyama earned himself the first overall draft spot and has been pinned with NBA Finals experienced coach Gregg Popovich. His height is 7’4” and he plays the center and power forward positions like. Wembanyama has probably been the most-hyped prospect since LeBron James, and he is an international basketball player being drafted from France.
Victor Wembanyama has so far lived up to his reputation as a rookie in the NBA, and he is considered by many as the best rookie of the century. For the season he is averaging 20.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 46.8 field goal percentage. The playing style of Wembanyama draws comparisons with NBA stars like Kristaps Porzingis and Rudy Gobert, and those two 7-footers have a reputation for elite defense while possessing magnificent offense abilities. He constantly makes the correct defensive read and has great timing in grabbing rebounds which gives so much value to him as a rim protector.
On offense, Wembanyama primarily plays as a power forward and due to his versatility also plays center because of his quickness and agility. The big is struggling with his threes, hitting a mediocre 32.0 percent from deep. “He’s been confident all year long. It doesn’t mean he’s taken all the best shots, but he’s got no problem with confidence,” said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. Right now, his seasonal statistics have never been matched by another rookie in NBA history. When Wembanyama moved to the center position on the Spurs’ offense on Dec. 8. his gameplay has been elite.
The defense of Wembanyama is building a serious case for NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. Recently he dropped a rare triple-double when the San Antonio Spurs played the Toronto Raptors on February 12. He led the Spurs with 27 points (10-14 field goal), 14 rebounds, 10 blocks, 5 assists, and 2 steals as the Spurs defeated the Toronto Raptors, 122-99. It is the second triple-double of Wembanyama’s career and it also marks the first triple-double inclusive of blocks since January 22, 2021. He possesses the skills necessary to cover multiple offensive plays such as mismatch isolations, pick and roll, and contesting perimeter shots in general.
Both Wembanyama and Holmgren have untraditional skills for being seven-footers. Both are so tall and very thin and have two different role tasks on their teams. Wembanyama is the focal point of everything the Spurs do on both ends because the team doesn’t have much talent. Holmgren must fit in on a team that already has a superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and possesses budding young talents at nearly every other position. The skills of these players have greatly aided their teams.
There is a debate among sports analysts and fans about whether Chet Holmgren or Victor Wembanyama is better. The debate appears to be winding down by far, going in Wembanyama’s favor. Although Holmgren has had an excellent season with a better shooting percentage, Wembanyama has historic season stats in everything else that gives him the edge to win Rookie of the Year and even put him in the race for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. When the Spurs played the Thunder on January 24, Wembanyama simply outplayed Holmgren. It appeared as if Holmgren was looking for mismatches while Wembanyama was hunting down Holmgren.
Holmgren posted 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists in 30 minutes. Wembanyama posted 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists in 28 minutes. The Spurs lost 140-114. With a great rookie performance, the Spurs are placed with the worst record in the Western Conference while the Thunder have the second-best record in the same conference. The two rookies respected each other and gave each other a fight that they knew was going to happen.
Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are both having spectacular rookie seasons. The sports masses have Wembanyama winning Rookie of the Year and there is no surprise there since he is leading all rookies in points, rebounds, blocks, and triple-doubles. If Wembanyama somehow does not win Rookie of the Year, he will likely have a historic career if he stays healthy based on the statistics he has produced. Holmgren as a rookie has already helped boost the winning percentage of the Thunder. It will be enjoyable to see how the combination of Popovich and Wembanyama will unfold in the future.
