Oklahoma City Thunder news: What should have been an epic showdown between two of the top young stars in the NBA today turned out to be a lopsided blowout. This is after Chet Holmgren and the Thunder made easy work of the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, 127-89.
The fact that Victor Wembanyama sat out due to an ankle issue certainly had a lot to do with the one-sided nature of this contest.
Oklahoma City Thunder News: Chet Holmgren’s Rookie of the Year Claim
Holmgren didn’t exactly have a big game in this one either, though. The 7-foot-1 big man played just 15 minutes on Tuesday, finishing with nine points, six rebounds, two assists, and a steal. This was far from a typical Holmgren performance the fans have been accustomed to, given how the 21-year-old is currently averaging 16.6 points on 52.7 percent shooting, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.4 blocks, while also knocking down 1.6 triples in 29.9 minutes per game.
Holmgren has been so impressive this season that it has teammate Jalen Williams campaigning for Chet’s Rookie of the Year bid:
“What’s his case for Rookie of the Year? Well, I think his numbers speak for themselves,” Williams said (h/t NBACentral on Twitter). “He’s put together a hell of a year so far. We were basically .500 last year without him, and now we already have 50 wins. To me, that’s a pretty good case.”
I see no lies here.
Holmgren probably would have had an easier path to the Rookie of the Year title had it not been Wembanyama’s debut campaign as well. Wemby remains the frontrunner to take home the trophy at the end of the season, but there’s no denying that Chet has given the Spurs star a proper run for his money.
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