Chet Holmgren, Cason Wallace Providing Elite Offensive Efficiency For Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder has gotten off to an impressive 5-3 start through its first eight games this season. While there's obvious room for improvement -- with a great example being the rebounding struggles -- the team is finding ways to win and has been incredible offensively.

To start the season, the Thunder has the seventh-best offensive rating with a 115.2 rating. The numbers don't lie, but the eye test backs this up. The dribble drive, motion offense keeps defenses on their toes and often creates space and holes in the defense.

Having a guy in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who scored over 30 points per game on over 50 percent shooting from the field a year ago is a great start offensively is a great start. The entire team is bought into the system that promotes paint touches and unselfishness.

Building off what was an incredible year offensively last year, the Thunder added two incredibly efficient rookies in Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace.

Holmgren is averaging 16.8 points per game on 58 percent shooting and 56 percent on 3-pointers. He also adds a unique wrinkle to the offense as a floor-spacing 7-footer who can put the ball on the ground and get to the rim.

Wallace, in 23 minutes per game, is averaging 8.8 points per game while shooting 69 percent from the field and 57 percent from beyond the arc.

Both of those players' efficiency will likely take a bit of a dip, but it's no fluke that it's so impressive early. Both players have an incredible shot diet.

Having just played eight games, the two rookies have been able to quickly immerse themselves into the system and have done so while playing incredibly efficiently.

To quantify just how efficient Holmgren has been offensively -- completely ignoring the defensive side of that ball, which is where he best impacts the game -- he's the team's second-leading while playing just 29.7 minutes per game and shooting ten shots per game. Playing at a program like Gonzaga alongside a talent like Drew Timme has Holmgren ready to play alongside elite talents while being productive, which is proving to be true early this season.

Holmgren's role can increase both in minutes and shots taken, which is scary to think about. With his talent and potentially increased role, he's going to seriously compete with Victor Wembanyama for Rookie of the Year despite the narrative and national media practically already crowning him.

Wallace's bread and butter also comes on the defensive end, yet he's stretched the floor at an elite rate and hasn't forced much else offensively. The Kentucky product has played incredibly well into the system and is likely to continue growing as he learns the system more and more.

The offensive upside alongside their immediate defensive impacts leaves a lot to be desired from the rookies and adds to the already excited young core that the Thunder has moving forward.

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