(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Coming into the 2023-24 NBA regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder were finally going to be able to see what they were getting from rookie big man Chet Holmgren after he spent his first year with the team on the mend from a foot injury suffered in the NBA offseason.
Although Holmgren’s debut with the team was highly anticipated, no one expected the Thunder to hit the ground running and become one of the best, most well-rounded teams in the NBA.
The Thunder have been so good this season, with everything seemingly coming together, that they’ve already clinched a playoff spot in the Western Conference and will be one of the top seeds in the conference heading into the NBA playoffs.
Even though the team’s success can be more attributed to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turning into a legitimate NBA MVP candidate, Holmgren’s presence has also given them a much-needed boost, which JJ Redick compares to Chris Bosh when he was playing alongside LeBron James on the Miami Heat, via ClutchPoints and the “Mind the Game” podcast.
“I think about Chris Bosh, and it makes me think of Chet Holmgren… What makes the [Thunder] so great is their ability to drive the basketball and then kick… Then all of a sudden, Chet comes in and unlocks everything,” Redick said.
“I think about Chris Bosh, & it makes me think of Chet Holmgren… What makes the [Thunder] so great is their ability to drive the basketball & then kick… Then all of a sudden, Chet comes in & unlocks everything.”
— JJ Redick
(via @mindthegamepod)pic.twitter.com/ppwjSYz22K
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 3, 2024
In his first season with the Thunder, Holmgren is averaging 16.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game, shooting 53.2% from the floor, 37.6% from beyond the arc, and 80.1% from the free-throw line.
Although these are some impressive numbers for a rookie and the Thunder wouldn’t be where they are without him, Holmgren will almost certainly fall short of winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award, with Victor Wembanyama also having an incredible first season in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs.
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