Thunder star Chet Holmgren reigns supreme in recent social media debate

In just one year of action, OKC Thunder stud Chet Holmgren has already thrust himself into the conversation of being one of the best bigs the NBA currently has to offer.

After being red-shirted for all of 2022-23 as a result of a season-ending Lisfranc injury, the 22-year-old burst onto the scene this past campaign, serving as the primary pivot for the top-seeded Oklahoma City and constantly showcased his elite inside-out, two-way skill set that made him the second overall selection during his respective draft in the first place.

With his enviable 7-foot-1 build, clean shooting stroke, and sensational rim-protecting skills, through 82 regular season games played Holmgren has not only established himself as one of the game's most promising young frontcourt talents but, truly, as one of the best bigs in the entire league.

Of course, this very sound sentiment hasn't seemed to halt people from debating his rank among other, less accomplished sub-25 ballers at his position, as the popular social media account Legion Hoops sparked an open conversation on X (previously Twitter) regarding a "start, bench, cut" scenario involving him, Jalen Duren of the Pistons, and Alpern Sengun of the Rockets.

Thunder star Chet Holmgren viewed as consensus 'start' choice

While it's undeniable that all three of these individuals deserve respect and ample attention for their games and impressive play styles, it's hard to envision a world where any sound-minded fan, pundit, or, frankly, franchise would realistically take Duren or Sengun over Holmgren at this point in time in such a hypothetical.

Fortunately, the vast majority of commenters agree with this sentiment, and the consensus "start" choice appears to be the Thunder stud.

One user went out and suggested that choosing Holmgren to start in this situation is rather easy, noting that both Duren and Sengun "are levels behind" in comparison.

Another fan who chose the Thunder big noted that when it comes to the three factors of offense, defense, and clutch, "it's Chet 110%."

In turth, Holmgren has undeniably accomplished more in one season of activity than Duren and Sengun have in two and three years, respectively.

While the Rockets pivot may have the edge in his 2023-24 career-high points per game averages (21.1 compared to Chet's 16.5 and Duren's 13.8), Holmgren tops both of them in the vast majority of other key metrics such as blocks (2.3), long-range shooting (37.0), and defensive rating (108).

On top of this, he was also the primary center and a top-three go-to option for a 57-win Thunder team that clinched their first playoff berth since 2020 and advanced to their first semifinal series in nearly a decade.

Comparatively, Holmgren's first season is miles ahead of both the Pistons and Rockets big's were, and, in many ways, was just as impactful, if not more so than their already established 2023-24 runs as well.

Simply put, this debate over who of the three would start isn't even all that close.