The Oklahoma City Thunder have seen Chet Holmgren explode onto the scene as a rookie. After missing the entire 2022-23 season with a Lisfranc fracture, Holmgren dominated out of the gate in 2023-24.
Holmgren was able to capture the first Rookie of the Month Award for October/November, which the OKC presented to him on New Year's Eve after an impressive start to his career.
Chet Holmgren gets his Rookie of the Month award pic.twitter.com/deMIZvEtsc
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) December 31, 2023
The Gonzaga product continued to clean up in the month of December, which netted him the December Rookie of the Month award over Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, Jazz guard Keyonte George, Trailblazers guard Scoot Henderson, and Mavericks big man Dereck Lively II.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward-center Chet Holmgren and Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. have been named the Kia NBA Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in December. Per NBA pic.twitter.com/0gsoBuvAH4
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) January 4, 2024
In the month of December Chet Holmgren posted 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and three blocks per game. The 2nd overall pick in 2022 did not dip off in efficiency, still turning in 58 percent from the floor, and stroking the trey ball at a 44 percent clip.
Holmgren was a catalyst for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who went 10-3 in the month of December, highlighted by wins over the Nuggets twice on the road, the Warriors, snapping the Clippers' nine-game winning streak, the Timberwolves, and the Mavericks.
Why not enjoy some Chet Holmgren 2023 highlights to end the year? pic.twitter.com/OYnb9Ifage
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) December 31, 2023
The impact Chet Holmgren has made on the Thunder can not be overstated. On the offensive end, he ranks in the 84th percentile as a pick-and-roll roll man, 93rd percentile as a cutter, and 78th percentile in isolation, knocking down 44 percent of his catch-and-shoot looks and converting at a 69 percent clip at the cup.
Defensively, on top of his otherworldly rim protection, swatting away shots and even deterring matchups from rim attempts, Holmgren is able to switch onto the perimeter with the length and athletic ability to recover if quicker guards get past him or the chance to disrupt triples flying out to contest.
The Thunder went from two-games below .500 team to the second-best team in the NBA's Western Conference, with the biggest addition being a healthy Holmgren, which of itself shows his value to the 20-10 Bricktown boys.
This marks the 8th time in the last 12 Rookie of the Month Awards that an OKC Thunder Player has taken home the honor. Holmgren also matches Jalen Williams' Rookie of the Month total, as the Santa Clara product netted two a season ago.