NBA In-Season Tournament Will See ROTY Candidates go Head-to-Head

When the NBA announced its brand new In-Season Tournament groups earlier in July, it was revealed that both the Thunder and Spurs are in the same pool.

OKC and San Antonio are joined in Group C by Minnesota, Golden State and Sacramento.

While the Timberwolves, Warriors and Kings all make for intriguing matchups in their own right, a showdown between the Spurs and Thunder will feature two highly touted, versatile 7-footers going head-to-head.

Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, will square off against Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. This is not the first time the two have met, as they battled during the final game of FIBA U19 World Championships back in 2021.

With Holmgren missing his entire rookie season due to a foot injury, Thunder fans missed the chance to see the Gonzaga product face 2023 Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero on national TV last season.

The Group Play matchup between Oklahoma City and San Antonio could have implications in the Rookie of the Year race, as it will likely be consumed by more NBA fans and media than a typical regular season game between the two squads.

If Holmgren can outplay Wembanyama and help lead the Thunder to a victory, it could go a long way for his chances at Rookie of the Year if he and the French star's numbers are similar at the end of the season.

While both players are already very advanced defenders, Holmgren appears to have a more consistent offensive game at this point in his career. In fairness to Wembanyama, Holmgren is almost two years older than the Spurs' rookie.

Regardless, each player will have much more work to do in order to earn the award over some of the other talented first-year players around the league. If the race is close however, there is a strong chance that many voters will return to the In-Season Tournament matchup between the two talented rookies.

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