Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren could be a sneaky pick to win the league’s Rookie of the Year award after missing the entire 2022-23 season with a foot injury.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft is actually second in the odds to win the award, and he received a recent endorsement from Ronnie Singh – better known as Ronnie 2K – the Head of Lifestyle and Content Marketing for 2K.
I sat down with Ronnie 2K for an exclusive interview (which you can watch below), and he had nothing but praise for Holmgren entering his first NBA season.
“Another guy that everybody is forgetting about is last year’s No. 1 pick,” Singh said when talking about the Thunder big man (Holmgren actually went No. 2). “Obviously he – Chet Holmgren – and what that team I believe is going to be this year – definitely sleeping on him a little bit.
“He had a huge Summer League performance. He looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. And he’s grown a little bit.”
It’s hard to argue with Singh’s take, and the oddsmakers seem to agree. While the 2023 NBA Draft’s No. 1 pick – Victor Wembanyama – is the odds on favorite for Rookie of the Year, Holmgren is second in the latest odds:
Chet Holmgren odds to win NBA Rookie of the Year
The Thunder had a star rookie in the 2022-23 season in Jalen Williams, and the team looks poised to reach the playoffs with Holmgren on the roster after making the play-in tournament last season.
"@peterdewey2 Ronnie 2K shares his sleeper pick for NBA Rookie of the Year! #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #nba #nbarookieoftheyear #ronnie2k #chetholmgren #victorwembanyama #scoothenderson #brandonmiller ♬ Superhero (Heroes & Villains) – Instrumental – Metro Boomin"
It will be interesting to see how Holmgren truly adapts to the NBA, but the talent has always been there for the top pick.
Thunder fans may want to take Ronnie 2K’s advice and think about backing Holmgren as their Rookie of the Year pick in the 2023-24 season.
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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Ronnie 2K shares his sleeper pick for NBA Rookie of the Year! #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #nba #nbarookieoftheyear #ronnie2k #chetholmgren #victorwembanyama #scoothenderson #brandonmiller
♬ Superhero (Heroes & Villains) – Instrumental – Metro Boomin