The OKC Thunder have seen Chet Holmgren hit the ground running as a rookie. Holmgren’s impact on this Oklahoma City Thunder has been even better than expected. The Gonzaga big man has shot an efficient 55 percent from the floor, 50 percent from the floor, and 89 percent at the charity stripe.
Holmgren is averaging 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists, a steal, and two blocks per game as a first-year big man for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The obvious comparison is drawn to fellow rookie center Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama is touted as a generational big man, with many considering him the best prospect since LeBron James. That has led the National Media to practically hand him the Rookie of the Year award before the season even began.
Ahead of matchup with Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren is not focused on the Rookie of the Year race.
On Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs face off in the Paycom Center in downtown Bricktown. This marks the third in-season tournament game for the Thunder and the second for the Spurs, as both look for their first pool play win.
This marks the first regular season matchup between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, two big men poised to be rivals in the NBA. The debates will be heavy as the two duke it out on the floor.
Is Chet Holmgren even a rookie? Does impacting winning matter more than just raw counting stats? Who is having the most impact? Would the votes dare vote against Victor Wembanyama after labeling him as this never-before-seen prospect?
While the outside noise around the two grows, Chet Holmgren is not focused on the Rookie of the award.
Chet Holmgren asked about ROY race: “We got a game at 7 o’clock tonight, so that’s what I’m focused on. Trying to win that game. That’s gonna be my focus. Outside of that I don’t have a whole lot of time for other things to worry about like that.”
— Joel Lorenzi (@jxlorenzi) November 10, 2023
The OKC Thunder currently sit at 6-4, good enough for the fifth-best record in the Western Conference. The San Antonio Spurs waltz in 3-7, losers of five streak contests.