Chet Holmgren makes strong case for NBA Rookie of the Year award

Former Gonzaga star is off to a historic start with Oklahoma City Thunder

Not even 10 games into his NBA career, former Gonzaga men's basketball standout Chet Holmgren has already made history.

The versatile 7-foot-1 rookie has galvanized the Oklahoma City Thunder with strong play on both sides of the floor. Holmgren ranks in the league's top five for points, rebounds, assists, rebounds and steals per game while helping his squad win five of its first eight games. His impact has been off the charts, as he became the first player in league history to record at least 20 blocks, 15 3-pointers and 15 assists over the first eight games of a season. 

For everything Holmgren's accomplished, fellow rookie Victor Wembanyama has had an equally impressive start to his career. The San Antonio Spurs' 7-foot-4 Frenchman has lived up to the hype as last summer's No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. Highlighted by a 38-point outing against the Phoenix Suns in his fifth game, Wembanyama is averaging 21.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. It's quite the experience watching him play with the fluidity of a guard, and while he remains the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award, Holmgren's absurd efficiency could make it a much closer race than anticipated.

Holmgren has scored 119 points while shooting 55.7% from the field, 53.8% from 3 and 90.0% from the line, becoming the first player in league history to shoot 50/50/90 with 100+ points through their first seven career games, per OptaStats. He's had just one game in which he didn't shoot 50% or better from the field — a 16-point, 12-rebound performance in which he also tallied three assists and three blocks in the Thunder's win over Atlanta. Even when he isn't shooting the ball well, Holmgren can contribute to winning basketball in so many different ways. 

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Holmgren's consistency has given him a slight edge over Wembanyama in CBS Sports' rookie rankings, which had Holmgren at No. 1 and Wembanyama at No. 2.

Still, according to major sportsbooks, Wembanyama is the clear favorite to take home the Rookie of the Year award. He's -400 odds to win the honor on Bet MGM and DraftKings, though Holmgren ascended to the second-best odds after starting the season at No. 3 behind Portland Trail Blazers' guard Scoot Henderson. Holmgren sits at +450 odds on Bet MGM. 

It will be difficult for Holmgren to maintain his level of efficiency for the duration of the season, though it's not out of the realm of possibility for him to still finish with 50/40/90 shooting splits, a feat no rookie has ever accomplished in NBA history. He's already managed to do the unthinkable this early into his career, and it might not be long until he shatters another rookie record.

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