Chet Holmgren graded as the most impactful NBA rookie in the last five seasons

Former No. 2 pick out of Gonzaga had the highest Synergy Player Impact rating of any rookie since 2019-20

Scott Kinser-USA TODAY Sports

No other NBA rookie over the last five seasons has had a greater impact on their team than Chet Holmgren.

According to Sportradar, the former Gonzaga standout had a +4.4 Synergy Player Impact rating in the 2023-24 campaign, which is the highest of any rookie since the 2019-20 season. San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama had the second-highest SPI rating at +3.4, followed by a large gap between him and Herb Jones (+1.8) at No. 3. Holmgren had 235 added points to Wembanyama’s 158 added points this season.

Holmgren made an intriguing case for Rookie of the Year following a historic first season that helped the Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25) achieve the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. He averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while shooting 53.0% from the floor and 37.0% from beyond the arc. According to Stathead, he’s the first player in NBA history to finish a season with at least 200 assists, 190 blocks and 129 3-pointers made. 

That unique blend of versatility and efficiency from Holmgren has been a massive difference-maker for the Thunder this season. Mark Daigneault has been creative in how he utilizes the 7-footer in the lineup with MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and budding star Jalen Williams, often through Holmgren’s role in pick-and-pop sets as both the screener and sometimes the ballhandler. That rare combination is a trait of some of the best bigs in the modern NBA, a group that Holmgren belongs in after just one season.

Wembanyama might’ve won the Rookie of the Year race according to the sportsbooks, but Holmgren’s impact this season is still unmatched.