WATCH: Chet Holmgren falls victim to two-handed jam from Dereck Lively II minutes after producing a two-handed block

Chet Holmgren has shown a lot of promise in his official NBA rookie year in the NBA. Many believe that he can rival Victor Wembanyama with the way he's been playing so far. At one point on Saturday night, Holmgren swatted his opponent's ball back with two hands when the OKC Thunder went up against the Dallas Mavericks.

However, during the second quarter of the game, Dereck Lively II avenged his teammate and posterized Chet Holmgren with a thunderous slam. What's even more impressive was the fact that Lively II managed to finish the dunk despite all the body contact from Holmgren. The foul may have not been called, but the dunk over a towering defender like Chet made for a great live moment.

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Looking at Chet Holmgren's rookie season so far

San Antonio Spurs v Oklahoma City Thunder

Chet Holmgren has played incredibly for the OKC Thunder so far. Despite missing his supposed rookie season last year die to a Lisfranc surgery, Holmgren immediately proved to the world why he was the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Standing at 7'1", Holmgren plays like a modern NBA big man with his shooting prowess, but is also capable of getting dirty inside the paint with his tenacity on defense. So far in 18 games, Chet is averaging 17.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. Despite falling slightly shorter in individual numbers compared to that of Victor Wembanyama, Holmgren is currently in first place on the rookie ladder.

One of the major reasons why Holmgren is leading the race for Rookie of the Year is because the numbers he produces have helped the Thunder win games. OKC is currently ranked third in the Western Conference with a 12-6 win-loss record.

Wembanyama's team, on the other hand, is struggling despite his strong individual stats. He averages 19.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. The San Antonio Spurs are currently last in rankings in the West, having lost 14 games in a row. While the blame shouldn't be placed entirely on Wemby, the fact of the matter is that Spurs' poor form has reflected on the RotY rankings. This is where Holmgren has the towering Frenchman beat.