In terms of NBA rookies, all the main focus is on Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama, however Chet Holmgren is the actual deal, too.
Throughout OKC’s win over Houston on Sunday, Holmgren grew to become the primary rookie in NBA historical past to
combination 150+ blocks and 100+ 3PM in a season. He additionally grew to become the first player
general to tally 150+ blocks, 150+ assists and 100+3PM in a season.
Wemby followers will likely be fast to convey up that he is averaging extra factors (20.7 to 17.1), rebounds (10.1 to 7.7), assists (3.3 to 2.7) and blocks (3.3 to 2.6) in fewer minutes (28.5 to 30.1) than Holmgren. However what’s inarguable is that Wemby is not the knockdown shooter Holmgren is — not but not less than.
Whereas Holmgren is capturing a powerful .544/.403/.771 splits, Wemby has been quite inefficient as compared, capturing .467/.318/.813 splits via 52 video games. Moreover, Holmgren is the third option on his team who makes an attempt solely 11.9 pictures per sport, versus Wembanyama, who takes 16.2 pictures per sport as the primary choice on the Spurs. Whereas the Spurs offense is more and more geared in direction of feeding their star rookie, Holmgren will get most of his factors throughout the stream of the sport and through the picks he units for the highest two scorers on his staff — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.
Because the All-Star break, although, Holmgren is enjoying something like a 3rd choice. The Gonzaga product has been on a tear through OKC’slast three wins, averaging 21 factors, 10 rebounds and a couple of.5 blocks whereas capturing 65 p.c from the sphere. Holmgren’s FG makes an attempt have risen to 14 for the reason that All-Star break, with OKC coach Mark Daigneault making a concerted effort to get him extra pictures.
If Holmgren can proceed at his present tempo, he might very properly supersede Wembanyama within the NBA’s Rookie of the 12 months race. Because it stands, Wemby (-650) is the overwhelming favourite over Holmgren (+500), per BETMGM. However these odds shifted solely over the previous month or so — Holmgren was a slight favourite at first of 2024, and likewise the popular candidate for analysts such as JJ Redick. As such, these odds might as soon as once more fluctuate if Holmgren and the second-seeded
Thunder hold at their profitable methods.