“He’s not afraid of the moment”: Derrick White sings praises for OKC Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren’s growth

Chet Holmgren was one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2022 NBA draft. At 7'1, Holmgren poses a unique skillset that fans and analysts hadn't seen before. When he was drafted, the closest thing fans had seen in the NBA to Holmgren's game was Bol Bol. Despite all the hype, Holmgren missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury.

By the time he returned to the court this season, Victor Wembanyama had already been drafted by the San Antonio Spurs, with many dismissing his game. The way some critics in the NBA community saw things, Holmgren wasn't as big, long, or intriguing as Victor Wembanyama.

This season, Holmgren has proven that he not only has what it takes to be one of the best young players in the league, he's also shown he can compete with the best.

Speaking on a recent episode of NBA veteran JJ Redick's The Old Man & The Three podcast, Celtics standout Derrick White spoke about Chet Holmgren. After losing a close 127-123 game to the Thunder on January 2nd, White sang Holmgren's praises.

"Chet is nice. We just played the Spurs before it was kinda like seeing all these young bigs just being able to do so many different things on the court. I mean he had a couple big shots down the stretch. He seems like he's not afraid of the moment and i think he's continuing to grow more sure of himself, it's good to see."

Looking at Chet Holmgren's play in his rookie year and how it compares to Victor Wembanyama

As Derrick White and a number of fans & analysts have pointed out, the unique game of both Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren has fueled comparisons. Much like Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning in the late 90s and early 2000s, Holmgren and Wembanyama seem destined to be connected.

San Antonio Spurs v Portland Trail Blazers

Currently, the two players lead the NBA in rookie of the year odds across all major sportsbooks. While Jaime Jaquez Jr on the Miami Heat has continued to earn praise in his own right, the Rookie of the Year award seems to be a two-man race.

At the time of publication, Holmgren sits as the favorite on both FanDuel and DraftKings, with -210 odds on FanDuel to Victor Wembanyama's +140 odds. On DraftKings, it's more of the same, with Holmgren at -190 odds and Wembanyama at +120 odds.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the stats of both players, starting with Chet Holmgren, who is averaging 17.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. In addition, he's also notably shooting 54.4% from the floor and 40.7% from downtown as the OKC Thunder (23-10) sit in second place in the West.

In the case of Victor Wembanyama, the French superstar is averaging 19.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game. In addition, he also notably has a lead over Holmgren in steals per game with 1.2, while shooting 44.9% from the floor and 29.1% from downtown.

While Wembanyama seems to have the edge in several stat categories, the biggest difference seems to be the success of both teams. If the OKC Thunder manage to keep it up, the odds indicate that Chet Holmgren could wind up winning the Rookie of the Year award.