Chet Holmgren picked the wrong year to become an NBA rookie.
The Thunder's big man played well and would have been named Rookie of the Year in most seasons, but this isn't most seasons.
Victor Wenbanyama is a phenomenon in his own right. After just one season, he's making us think he'll be the best player in the league in a few years and the best player in the GOAT conversation in a dozen years. These are unreasonably high expectations, but that's what Wenbanyama's play as a rookie brought to the league.
Wembaneyama was unanimously named NBA Rookie of the Year.
To date, five players have been unanimously named Rookie of the Year: Ralph Sampson, David Robinson (another Spurs player), Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Holmgren came in second place with 98 out of 99 voters ranking him in the same position. Brandon Miller of the Hornets was a distant third.
Wenbanyama averaged 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, but more importantly, he was also a defensive force. As a rookie, he finished in the top three in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Wembangyama had a bit of a slow start to the season, mostly because of Gregg Popovich playing him at No. 4 next to Zach Collins and Jeremy Sochan's experiment at point guard. . However, as the season progressed, Wenbanyama reached a level where he was satisfied with his game.
Holmgren can find solace in the fact that he's still playing. He is the starting center for a Thunder team that opens its Western Conference semifinal series against Dallas on Thursday night. Holmgren's pick-and-pop shooting and rim protection in the paint will play a big role in that series.
At the beginning of the season, it looked like Miami's Jaime Jaquez Jr. would finish third in the voting (he finished fourth), but his 3-point shooting and game led to a slump in the second half of the season. Meanwhile, while few fans were paying attention to Charlotte, Brandon Miller found his groove and showed why he deserved to be the No. 2 pick last June. By the end of the season, Miller was worthy of that No. 3 spot. Derek Lively II of the Mavericks and Brandin Podzemski of the Warriors also received third-place votes.
