After a formidable rookie season wherein Chet Holmgren earned first-team all-star honors, the gifted middle is off to a good higher begin this 12 months.
In his first three video games of the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder’s 2024-25 marketing campaign, Holmgren is averaging 23.7 factors, 13 rebounds, three assists, 4 blocks and 1.3 steals per sport whereas taking pictures 56 .3% from the bottom. If the second-year participant is ready to preserve the same statistical output, he will definitely be within the All-Star dialog for the primary time in his younger profession.
With three gifted gamers on the Thunder roster in Holmgren, Jalen Williams and NBA MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, observers have puzzled when one other Oklahoma Metropolis participant will be part of Gilgeous-Alexander within the All-Star Sport. . The reply might be as quickly as this 12 months, given the soar Holmgren has made to this point.
What would additional bolster Holmgren’s All-Star candidacy is an enormous efficiency Wednesday night time in opposition to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
Wembanyama beat out Holmgren for the 2024 Rookie of the 12 months award and the 2 have had a private rivalry since they met on the worldwide stage as highschool athletes.
On Wednesday, the 2 will meet on ESPN in a matchup that may spotlight the rivalry between the 2 gifted 7-footers.
Chet and Wemby face off in a scary season-long showdown 👻
🍿 Spurs vs Thunder
📺 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN pic.twitter.com/TW8icGmtiJ– Sports activities Heart (@SportsCenter) October 30, 2024
With so many eyes on the 2 massive males, an enormous efficiency from Holmgren would present observers and members of the nationwide media that Holmgren has taken a step ahead and change into an All-Star caliber participant.
Nonetheless, the final time Holmgren and Wembanyama met, the Frenchman had 28 factors, 13 rebounds, seven assists, 5 blocks and two steals whereas making 5 of seven from 3-point vary. Wembanyama’s stellar efficiency led the Spurs to a 132-118 victory in late February and prompted an outline from NBA.com that learn, “Wembanyama outplays Holmgren.”
Wembanyama is averaging 20 factors, 12 rebounds, 2.3 assists and a pair of.7 blocks per sport whereas taking pictures 42.9% from the sector by three video games within the 2024-25 season. San Antonio is 1-2 this 12 months and can search for a decisive victory within the Trendy Frontier on Wednesday night time.
Along with the matchup between Holmgren and Wembanyama, former Thunder level guard and present Spurs level guard Chris Paul returns to play in opposition to one in every of his former groups.
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