Victor Wembanyama or Chet Holmgren: Who’s Currently Leading The NBA’s Rookie Of The Year Race?
According to FanDuel, Victor Wembanyama currently sits as the betting favorite to win the NBA’s Rookie Of The Year award. However, at -170, Chet Holmgren isn’t far behind. With such a tight race, who truly has a leg up at this point?
To this point, Wembanyama’s averaged 19 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1 steal, and 2.6 blocks per game on 52.1% True Shooting. He has done this while shooting 43.1% from the field, 26.7% from beyond the arc, and 82.1% from the charity stripe. His free throw percentage is very encouraging, but the San Antonio Spurs’ big man hasn’t yet shot well on jumpers. He’s shown intriguing flashes with pull-up triples and heavily contested tries, but hasn’t shot them at an efficient clip yet.
Defensively, the 7-foot-4 Frenchman has been excellent. He’s protected the rim and deterred many attacks in the process. He still has room to grow in terms of technique, but Wembanyama’s baseline of physical tools makes him a fearsome defender.
In Oklahoma City, Holmgren has contributed to winning basketball for the Thunder. With impactful two-way play, he’s been the second-best player on the 11-5 team that is the No. 2 in the Western Conference. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has found his co-star of the future.
Offensively, he’s been uber-efficient, averaging 18.1 points on 69.3% True Shooting. He’s also flirted with the elusive 50-40-90 club, shooting 56.4% from the field, 43.8% from deep, and 88.1% from the line.
Defensively, he’s fortified the rim for OKC. He’s been the best defensive player on a Thunder unit that ranks seventh in the league in defensive rating. Coming off an electric 36-point performance in a loss against the Philadelphia 76ers, Holmgren has all the momentum in this race.
Ultimately, by shooting far more efficiently from the field, Holmgren’s been the much better offensive player. His situation and defined role make efficient shooting much easier than it is for Wembanyama. Defensively, both could make an All-Defensive squad. They have both dominated as versatile rim protectors. But with the offensive gap, it is clear that Holmgren should truly be the Rookie Of The Year favorite right now.
However, it is a very long season, so things could change at any point. We are just a month into the new season, after all.
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