NBA Rookies: Chet Holmgren Continues Hot Start Against Nuggets

Chet Holmgren continued his hot NBA start against the defending champions on Sunday.

In a class full of star-studded 2023 NBA Draft picks, the Rookie of the Year front-runner through just a few games might just be from the 2022 NBA Draft class.

Through three games, Oklahoma City rookie Chet Holmgren is averaging 15.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.3 blocks while shooting 57 overall and 55 from beyond the arc, serving as a catalyst for an emerging Thunder squad.

The second overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, Holmgren missed his initial season due to a Lisfranc injury suffered in Jamal Crawford’s CrawsOver Pro-Am last summer while guarding LeBron James. Now, the 7-footer has inserted himself as a young force in the league.

Holmgren had a lackluster debut in Chicago compared to what he can be, scoring just 11 points, grabbing four boards, dishing three assets and registering no blocks.

On Friday, however, Holmgren showed what makes him such a special talent.

He went toe-to-toe with Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, scoring 16 points, grabbing 13 boards and miraculously swatting seven shots, a Thunder rookie record and incredibly impressive performance against a third-year standout.

In the Thunder’s season opener on Sunday, Holmgren continued his hot streak, this time on the offensive end. He poured on 17 points in the first half, despite the Nuggets getting what they wanted against Oklahoma City early and often.

Overall, Holmgren scored 19 points and grabbed four rebounds in just 26 minutes in the Thunder loss.

Holmgren will have his work cut out for him to be the league’s best rookie this season — especially with Victor Wembanyama, the Thompson twins and others looming — but he’s off to as good a start as any expected.

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