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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

When it looked like the OKC Thunder was going to make history, the Warriors returned fire. But that didn’t mean the Dubs breezed through this faceoff. The Splash Brothers had a hard time keeping the 7-foot young “big” man away. With Twitter blowing up praises for the Thunder rookie, Chet definitely is going a long way in the NBA. Draymond Green is also part of this group.

The post-game media talk saw Green at a loss for words to describe just how far Holmgren has come. He also mentions a significant fact about what makes Chet so uniquely different from the typical rookies.

Draymond Green reveals what sets Holmgren apart from other rookies

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Draymond Green, one of the Warriors’ key players and veteran forward, is certainly swayed by Chet’s performance tonight. Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets Green’s overwhelming response to Holmgren’s game. “Chet’s a problem. He can play … he’s not making typical mistakes that a rookie would make.”

 

As Green further goes on to say, Chet has proved himself to be a valuable addition to the rapidly developing OKC. He has shown that he can play any position and shoot from anywhere on the court. And of course, his height and length provide him with an advantage that other players don’t have.

Holmgren is still young and just starting to find his way in the NBA. Even so, his stats and performance are on par with elite players. Or, as Green says, “typical rookie mistakes” are not on Chet’s menu. Let’s take a look at what Holmgren’s numbers have to say for themselves.

Chet Holmgren’s stats are borderline amazing

Even though he was drafted as No. 2 in 2022, Chet missed the entire season due to a foot injury. A positive side to it was, he gained weight and muscle, which was a real concern with the NBA management. Weighing in at 210 pounds, 7’1 with a wingspan of 7’6, the Thunder definitely struck gold with him.

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During the freshman campaign at Gonzaga, Chet’s defensive number averaged 9.9 rebounds per game and 3.7 blocks per game in 26.9 minutes. This was on an equal footing with the 2022-23 season’s top prospect Walker Kessler. His career average with the Jazz was 8.4 rebounds per game and 2.3 blocks per game in 23 minutes of the game. Holmgren was able to play for the NBA Summer League, averaging 9.8 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game.

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As far as his regular season stats are concerned, Holmgren has averaged 7.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.6 blocks in 28.6 minutes of game time. So you see, the Thunder got a lightning deal in Chet Holmgren. He is only going to continue growing better with each game. All he needs to do is heed Jokic’s advice on “getting fat”.

Do you think Chet’s presence in this OKC team makes them playoff contenders?