SUMMARY
- Chet Holmgren is on pace to appear for 82 games this season.
- Victor Wembanyama has not appeared for as many games but averages better numbers than Chet.
Chet Holmgren has impacted the Oklahoma City Thunder in many ways. It has been almost impossible for many teams and players including LeBron James to understand how to guard OKC with Holmgren on the floor. The 21-year-old was the 2nd overall pick during the 2022 NBA Draft. He was supposed to have an impactful first season but Chet ended up missing his debut year after suffering from a Lisfranc fracture during an amateur league game ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Smooth move, @ChetHolmgren 🤌 pic.twitter.com/oYVBwnmRAR
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 11, 2024
Unfortunately, he never got to battle it out against Paolo Banchero who eventually became the Rookie of the Year in 2023. Banchero himself has had a stellar run so far bringing the Orlando Magic to the top five in the Eastern Conference. But Chet returned to the floor to make his debut during the 2023-24 season. And he had to face someone even more challenging, Victor Wembanyama. The latter was the No.1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and is projected to become an NBA great.
Chet Holmgren is on pace to have a perfect 82-game season
While everybody initially believed Chet Holmgren would get trampled by Victor Wembanyama while competing for the 2024 ROTY title, they’ve more or less the same. Obviously, both of them started on the same plain. But Chet eventually took a slight step back to figure out where his team needed assistance rather than solely focusing on individual fame.
The only 2 rookies in the NBA that have played in every game this season, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace. pic.twitter.com/g2E0ppBQTQ
— OKC Thunder Stats (@ThunderNumbers) March 31, 2024
Wembanyama averaged 21.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 3.6 blocks per game. But Holmgren has only put up 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists including 2.3 blocks per game as the second option on his team. While the Thunder player’s stats have dipped down, he is still on pace to appear for all 82 games this season. Unfortunately, Wembanyama hasn’t been able to boast an 82-game run due to a couple of minor injuries.
Chet Holmgren assists OKC to over 50 wins for the first time since 2016
Last season, the Thunder were just around .500 in the rankings and they also missed the playoffs after losing in the Play-In Tournament. Ever since the Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant era, the team never won over 50 games in a season. This last happened during Durant’s final season in Oklahoma back in 2016. And after missing the playoffs thrice in a row, Chet Holmgren’s presence has brought them to 50+ wins and a post-season appearance.
Jalen Williams praises Chet Holmgren’s impressive rookie season as Chet is on track to play all 82 games despite battling injuries, contributing significantly to OKC’s push towards the top of the conference
“What’s his case for Rookie of the Year?Well, I think his numbers speak… pic.twitter.com/yErMmuFHWy
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 11, 2024
Chet’s teammate Jalen Williams claims he is deserving of the ROTY award. He said, “What’s his case for Rookie of the Year? Well, I think his numbers speak for themselves. He’s put together a hell of a year so far. We were basically .500 last year without him, and now we already have 50 wins. To me, that’s pretty good.” Wembanyama has been a -5000 while Holmgren oscillates between +2000 and +1000 for the ROTY title.