Will Chet Holmgren win NBA Rookie of the Year in 2023-24?
After missing all of the 2022-23 season with a Lisfranc injury, former Gonzaga men's basketball star Chet Holmgren is finally healthy and ready to make his official NBA debut this fall.
The Oklahoma City Thunder center was dominant in the 2023 NBA Summer League, as he posted 16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 3.5 blocks per game across four appearances. Almost a year removed from surgery, he put up 25 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks against the Indiana Pacers in his fourth and final Summer League contest. His individual efforts earned him a trip back to Las Vegas in August to help prepare Team USA for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, reuniting him with his former coach Mark Few.
A stellar summer sets the stage for an intriguing NBA Rookie of the Year race between Holmgren and 7-foot-5 French star Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. Many have penciled in Wembanyama as the favorite to win Rookie of the Year (-161 odds according to SI Sportsbook), though former Gonzaga All-American Dan Dickau believes Holmgren will take home the prestigious award by season's end.
Dickau forecasts Holmgren's first season in the NBA, as well as the latest news regarding Gonzaga men's basketball recruiting, and more on the latest mailbag episode of the Gonzaga Nation podcast.
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Gonzaga Nation podcast produced by Christian Pedersen.
