Chet Holmgren’s unicorn status continues to produce incredible stats night in and night out.
This year’s Rookie of the Year race is shaping up to be a wild one. Currently, the two players vying for the title are Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. The two lanky rookies are neck-and-neck for that important award. On Thursday night, Holmgren gained a slight edge over Wembanyama.
During the Thunder’s win against the Houston Rockets, Chet Holmgren recorded three blocks and five threes. That makes 100 blocks and 100 threes for Chet this season, making him the first rookie to record such a feat, per Andrew Schlecht.
“Chet Holmgren is the first rookie in NBA history to have 100 threes and 100 blocks in a season”
Holmgren and Wembanyama are both redefining what it means to be a unicorn. Back then, being a unicorn meant that you were simply just tall and can shoot threes. Now, a unicorn is any tall guy who plays like a guard. Holmgren’s insane defensive range and his scoring has helped the Thunder maintain pole position in the Western Conference.
The Thunder this season have been absolutely killing it. After missing the entire 2022-2023 season due to a foot injury, Holmgren is showing why he was highly touted as the first overall pick. He’s averaging 17.1 points on ridiculous efficiency (54% from the field, 40% from the outside) while also tallying 7.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.7 blocks per game. In their game against the Rockets, he scored 29 huge points along with those three blocks, as well as grabbing eight rebounds and dishing seven assists.
The Thunder’s biggest test will come in the playoffs, where they’re surely headed. Can they maintain their incredible play once the big games start?
About the Author
Gerard is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, with his focus primarily on the NBA, NFL, and Gaming. When he’s not writing for CP, Gerard can often be seen playing VALORANT or playing pick-up basketball. He’s also working on his BS Mathematics degree.
Source link