Chet Holmgren’s Preseason Case for Rookie of the Year
Today’s the day. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2023-24 campaign kicks off at 7 p.m. CT against the Chicago Bulls.
So let’s give one last definitive pathway for Chet Holmgren winning this season’s Rookie of the Year Award, eh?
Firstly, it’s more feasible than it seems.
Let’s start with the pros. Despite a looming 2023 NBA Draft class — headlined by top pick Victor Wembanyama, dynamo Scoot Henderson, two equally athletic twins in Amen and Ausar Thompson, sharpshooter Brandon Miller and many more — Holmgren has the talent to stand out and then some.
At 7-foot-1, Holmgren is set to be a catalyst for Oklahoma City this season, filling all the gaps they’ve had in year’s past with rim protection, lengthy and ambidextrous finishing at the basket, stretch shooting and much, much more.
That was already on display in preseason, where Holmgren averaged 16.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.0 blocks while shooting near-60% overall and a whopping 56% from beyond the arc.
Perhaps Holmgren’s most likely path to taking home the award will be tied to Oklahoma City’s success as a team. While record almost never plays a factor in Rookie of the Year voting, if the Thunder are drastically better than a San Antonio or Portland — who could be vying for more top picks rather than the Playoffs — things could swing in his favor quickly if the stats are similar.
As for the cons, Holmgren is facing one of the more loaded classes in recent memory. A generational 7-foot-4 behemoth stands in his way in Victor Wembanyama, and it’s going to be hard to detract from his storyline as the chosen one.
Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson were subsequently drafted but are still names to watch for. And there’s a myriad of other options just waiting to rise to the surface of talks: Keyonte George, Anthony Black, Jarace Walker, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Cam Whitmore and more.
And best of all, Holmgren likely won’t care about taking home the award in the slightest. He’ll of course be asked about it throughout the course of the season, and it’s sure to be met with disregard in between talk of making his team five points better or finding ways to stack days.
The Thunder have themselves a player, award or no award. And today, he’ll get to finally unveil his game to the NBA.
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