Chet Holmgren Creeping Up on Thunder Rookie Scoring Record

Just 44 games into his career, the Oklahoma City rookie has found himself near the top of all-time Thunder freshman scoring leaders.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been fortunate to host a few pretty special rookie seasons from its players since the franchise's move from Seattle to the Sooner state in 2008.

While not in the last decade, Jalen Williams' rookie season last year was of the best since Russell Westbrook's in 2008-09. Before that, it was also a strong rookie campaign from Josh Giddey in 2021-22. 

But Giddey's was the first in a long while for a Thunder rookie to have an outstanding season – his coming 12 years after James Harden's promising first year in the league in 2009-2010.

Now, though, there's a new Oklahoma City freshman with upside arguably as high as any rookies in its history – Chet Holmgren.

He's garnered both Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors handed out thus far this season, and has continually been in the top-two discussion of himself and Victor Wembanyama for Rookie of the Year.

He’s scored 17.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 44 games and 44 starts, Holmgren's role on the top team in the West has illuminated both his short- and long-term potential, fitting this Thunder team like a glove and limiting his self-indulgence like an aware veteran.

In doing so, he's shooting an efficient 54.1% from the field on nearly 12 shooting attempts – logging 772 total points so far on the season, steadily sneaking up to the top spot of Thunder rookie scoring leaders.

That 2008-09 Westbrook season still holds the record with 1,256 points as he played all 82 games that year. Williams' first year still stands strong, sitting in the second slot with 1,056 points in 75 contests last season.

Williams' initial year in the league was a great indicator as to the type of player he'd unfold into – saying this as he's only in his sophomore season – blossoming into a more mature and strong-minded character.

If his rookie effort was any point of reference, Holmgren is dead on track to follow in that same line, as he's well on pace to claim Westbrook's record just a little over halfway into the season.

In any case, Holmgren's scoring ability is something that is integral  – but it's not the cornerstone of his game, nor is it what makes him the exceptional player that he is. 

So, to see him break this record, especially as the Thunder's third option, would be yet another excitable milestone for the Oklahoma City "basketball player," as Holmgren calls it.

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