Rookie Battles Only the Beginning for Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama

The star rookies look to be on a collision course for the next decade.

Feb 29, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) and San / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

The matchup of star rookies that has defined Thunder-Spurs games this season did not happen Wednesday, but this is only the beginning of those battles.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have been linked through their playoff battles in the 2010s into their respective rebuilds in the 2020s. Although names such as Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan, Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard have been the centers of attention in the past, another two names will dominate that matchup for years to come.

Those names are, of course, Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama. Although the two spent a sizeable portion of the season in a tight Rookie of the Year race, Wembanyama pulled away throughout the past couple of months. 

As a rookie, Wembanyama has already emerged as one of the league’s best big men, averaging 21.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and a league-leading 3.6 blocks. Holmgren is also well on his way to those conversations.

Despite having worse overall numbers, with 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, Holmgren’s efficiency has set him apart. Shooting 37.2% from 3-point range and 61.9% from inside the arc, the Thunder’s star rookie has been a reliable scoring option anywhere on the floor.

Along with his efficiency, Holmgren will be able to add something this season Wembanyama can’t. While the Spurs are at the bottom of the Western Conference, the Thunder are still competing for the top seed and hope to make a deep playoff run. 

Although San Antonio has cap flexibility to add pieces around Wembanyama, Oklahoma City is already playing championship-caliber basketball. The Spurs’ 7-foot-4 star has the talent to lead them to the postseason next year, but getting to Oklahoma City’s level is likely still two or three years away.

Still, that could set up playoff matchups between the young centers as early as next season. No matter how great a rivalry is, playoff battles always take them to another level. Considering both players could be on their teams into the 2030s, playoff series between Holmgren and Wembanyama feel inevitable.

Although players connected through their rookie seasons can sometimes take different paths and play out their careers without constant comparisons, that rarely happens in the NBA. That’s why Trae Young and Luka Doncic are constantly compared despite playing in different conferences in entirely different situations.

Considering the Atlanta Hawks are typically viewed as the losers of their 2018 draft-night swap with the Dallas Mavericks, it might be difficult for Holmgren to be appreciated appropriately if he is always tied to Wembanyama. 

Still, rivalries often bring out the best in players, and this rookie class is no different. As those comparisons continue, so will Holmgren and Wembanyama’s matchups.

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