NBA Rookie of the Year Race Heating Up as Holmgren, Wembanyama Continue to Impress

In 2022-23, Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Jalen Williams shocked the NBA community when the former No. 12 overall pick played his way into the Rookie of the Year race.

In the end, Williams came up just short, finishing in second place behind No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero. This year, OKC has another first-year player who is pushing to be named the league's top rookie.

After missing all of what was supposed to be his debut season in the NBA, Chet Holmgren has returned to the court better than even Thunder fans could have imagined.

Despite an average performance on opening night from Holmgren, the former No. 2 overall pick has been a crucial piece of Oklahoma City's success this season. 25 games into his NBA career, the versatile 7-footer is averaging 16.9 points, eight rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 52.1% from the field and 37.3% from 3-point range.

Holmgren has blocked an astounding 15 shots over his last two games, tying Serge Ibaka for the most blocks over a two-game span in Thunder history. According to Derek Parker, Holmgren is averaging a whopping 4.7 blocks per game over his last seven contests.

With his offensive versatility and defensive prowess, Holmgren has clearly been one of OKC's three best players and a catalyst for the team's impressive climb to the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference.

Victor Wembanyama, Holmgren's top competitor for the Rookie of the Year award, has also had an impressive statistical season. Through 24 games, the 7-foot-4 Frenchman is averaging 19 points, 11 rebounds, 2.7 assists, three blocks and 1.3 steals per game.

While Wembanyama may have higher averages, his shooting splits are not nearly as efficient as Holmgren. This season, the 19-year-old big man is shooting 43.6% from the field and 28.1% from beyond the arc.

Additionally, Wembanyama is averaging two more points than Holmgren while taking around five more shots per game than the Thunder rookie.

Finally, Holmgren is putting up similar numbers to Wembanyama in a much different role on a better team. Currently, the Spurs are 4-21 and the last place in the Western Conference.

The Thunder, on the other hand, are 17-8, good enough for second place in the West.

While, again, Wembanyama may have better counting stats, Holmgren has been an integral piece on one of the best teams in the league, which could end up helping him steal a few votes away from Wembanyama if the Thunder continue to play at such a high level.

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