After missing his first NBA season before it began due to a season-ending injury suffered the summer before last, no one knew exactly what to expect from rookie center Chet Holmgren when he was healthy going into the 2023-24 NBA regular season with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder were already poised to be a force to be reckoned with this season, with guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander taking his game to an MVP level last season, and the team expected to take it to another level this year, but the addition of Holmgren was another step in the right direction for the up-and-coming franchise.
Even though Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs stole all the headlines for NBA rookies this past summer, Holmgren has been the one getting it done on the basketball floor this season, as he has been impressive, to say the least, in his first year with the Thunder.
Currently, Holmgren is the favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year over the Spurs international superstar, as he’s played exceptionally well alongside Gilgeous-Alexander and company in Oklahoma City.
In fact, Holmgren has been so good in his first season with the Thunder that some, like Stephen Jackson of the All The Smoke Podcast, believe he’s already a top-five center in the NBA via All the Smoke Productions’ Twitter account.
Is @ChetHolmgren in the conversation as a top 5 center in the league?@DaTrillStak5 thinks so. 💯#AllTheSmokeUnplugged @okcthunder pic.twitter.com/V6n32z4I4a
— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) January 17, 2024
In the 40 games he’s played for the Thunder this season, Holmgren is averaging 17.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 54.8% from the field and 38.7% from deep.
With these kind of numbers and the Thunder being one of the best teams in the league this season, Holmgren seemed destined to win NBA Rookie of the Year, and could very well be in the conversation for being one of the five-best players to play the center position in the league right now.
NEXT: Analyst Details The Thunder's Rapid Rise