The Rookie of the Year battle between Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder has the NBA world on the edge of their seat. For Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George, he thinks a ROY decision has already been made.
The fiercely contested ROY race was broken down in a recent episode of Podcast P with Paul George, presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment. The Clippers forward acknowledged the possibility that the NBA might prefer Wembanyama over Holmgren to win the award.
When co-host Dallas Rutherford suggested, “I think the NBA wants him to win it,” George immediately replied, “Absolutely.”
Wembanyama vs. Holmgren so far
Throughout the season, the Rookie of the Year contest has primarily been a showdown between unicorns Wembanyama and Holmgren.
Both rookies have presented compelling cases for winning the award. Wembanyama's electrifying and never-before-seen individual performance has inspired awe throughout the league. Holmgren's role in Oklahoma City's transformation from a rebuilding team to a legitimate contender has also earned him significant and well-deserved recognition.
In terms of statistics, Wemby currently leads in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. However, Chet has the edge in turnovers and exhibits better shooting efficiency from both the field and beyond the arc. Additionally, he boasts a significantly better plus/minus rating.
Despite this being Chet's first official season, it's not his first year in the league. He was drafted in 2022 as the second overall pick but missed what would have been his rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury to his right foot sustained while defending LeBron James in the Pro-Am League.
Paul George chimes in
However, for George, this situation is akin to “almost stealing someone else's year.”
Ultimately, the decision may depend on whether voters prioritize individual statistics or overall team success. However, the situation is more complex than it appears at first glance.
“I’m going to give it to Wemby. Chet’s on a winning team, he's got a great group of young guys around him, and not much pressure is like solely on him,” said the 14 season veteran.
“The expectation for Wemby is extremely high, he's playing on a young team as well, but they're not as successful and I don't think quite yet that the talent is as high as Oklahoma's,” George continued. “So he's relied upon to do a lot on a nightly basis, and he's doing it, he's contributing. If the numbers are close, yeah his team isn't winning as much as Chet’s team, but that's because Chet's team's better.”
According to George, Victor Wembanyama should win the award because even though Holmgren hasn't played a game in his rookie season, he has been present in the league, observing players and understanding how everything works.
If Chet does go on to win the award, he would join two other players who achieved the same feat despite missing their first year due to injuries.
It's not the first time
A situation similar to OKC's Chet Holmgren's occurred in 2018 when Ben Simmons won the Rookie of the Year award over Donovan Mitchell. Simmons, the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, missed the entire 2016-17 season due to a foot injury.
He returned the following season and averaged 15.8 points per game. Meanwhile, Mitchell, the 13th overall pick in the 2017 draft, averaged a rookie-high 20.5 points per game and led the Utah Jazz to the fifth seed in the Western Conference.
Blake Griffin is another example of a player who overcame an injury in his first season to win the Rookie of the Year award. Selected as the first overall pick in 2009, Griffin suffered a kneecap injury during the Clippers' last preseason game, forcing him to sit out the entire season. However, he returned the following year and ultimately won the ROY award.
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