At age 23, OKC Thunder center Chet Holmgren is already building himself quite a decorated resume.
He's already considered one of the best two-way bigs in the game, has won a ring, and is legitimately pushing for Defensive Player of the Year honors, assuming all goes as planned to finish the season.
Looking back on draft day in 2022, when Holmgren was selected second overall by his current squad, it's easy to see how things could've gone much worse than they have.
In Holmgren's respective class, three players had separated themselves from the pack -- Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, and Jabari Smith all impressed during their respective seasons to solidify themselves as the "Big Three" of the draft.
Many thought the Magic would select Smith with the number-one overall pick, but they surprised by taking Banchero. Holmgren was taken second, as many predicted, followed by Smith, who was taken by Houston at third overall.
According to many, there was no way to miss with these first three picks, and to an extent, they were correct. Each has established themselves as a legitimate NBA talent.
Four years later, though, it's easy to see that the Thunder picked the best of the bunch.
Thunder don't regret missing out on Banchero or Smith
It didn't take long for Paolo Banchero to establish himself as the Magic's go-to scorer. Last year, he found his stride, as he averaged 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in a season interrupted by injury.
This season, though, he has been unable to recapture the same magic.
On top of regressing to 20.9 points per game, he has been a black hole of efficiency. At 48.4 percent, he has the lowest effective field goal percentage in the league among players who have played in over 30 games and are averaging over 30 minutes. He also has the eighth-lowest true shooting percentage among players with the same qualifications.
Defensively, he has been mediocre at best. Opponents are shooting 47.3 percent when he is guarding them, and he has a net rating of 155.7. To put this into perspective, Holmgren has a defensive field goal percentage of 40.9 percent and a defensive rating of 102.8.
Jabari Smith has turned into a solid yet uninspiring wing in Houston. Draft profiles were right about him not possessing any strong distribution abilities, as he is averaging just 1.4 assists for his career.
His best calling card, a smooth jump shot, has been a disappointment by many standards, as he failed to average more than 13.7 points in any of his first three full seasons. This year, he is averaging 15.4, but is shooting just 42.9 percent from the field in the process.
He also has the fifth-lowest true shooting percentage in the league among players playing over 30 games and averaging 30 minutes per game.
He is a part of the stingy Rockets defense, but their prowess is not necessarily attributed to his skill set. He is allowing a 47.0 defensive field goal percentage.
Chet Holmgren has been a home-run pick for the Thunder
While the other two players are still finding their way in the league, Holmgren is beginning to cement himself as one of the NBA's best. Even missing his entire first year due to a foot injury and the majority of last season with a fractured pelvis, he has become one of the league's premier rim protectors.
He is outshooting the supposed sharpshooter, Jabari Smith, from deep and is playing more efficiently than Paolo Banchero.
It's safe to say that if the Thunder could rewind four years into the past, they wouldn't change a thing. Without Holmgren, it's likely this team wouldn't have been able to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy last season, and they definitely wouldn't be so well-positioned to do so yet again in 2025-2026.
As Holmgren sets his sights on his first All-Star appearance, the Thunder aren't looking back and lamenting their second overall draft choice any time soon. If anything, they are just grateful they didn't pass up the up-and-coming talent.