Check The Numbers: Thunder Rookie Chet Holmgren Is Already One Of NBA’s Most Impactful Players

Forbes Business SportsMoney Check The Numbers: Thunder Rookie Chet Holmgren Is Already One Of NBA’s Most Impactful Players Nick Crain Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Following Click to save this article. You’ll be asked to sign into your Forbes account.

Nov 26, 2023, 02:17pm EST Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 27: Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates after scoring . . .

[+] during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 27, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Thunder defeated the Cavaliers 108-105. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.

(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) Getty Images It’s been a year delayed, but Chet Holmgren’s rookie season has been special. The No. 2 overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2022 NBA Draft is in the current rookie class after missing all of last season with a foot injury, but looks better than ever.

While Victor Wembanyama entered this season as the heavy favorite for NBA Rookie of the Year, Holmgren continues to increase his own odds. There’s a lot of season left, but almost no debate that Holmgren has been the best rookie in the league thus far when looking at statistics, efficiency and impact. The 7-footer has been the Thunder’s second best player and a significant reason that OKC sits near the top of the Western Conference standings at 11-5.

Again, through the first month of the season Holmgren has been the best rookie in the NBA. But what’s more interesting is the way he’s already emerging as one of the most impactful players in the entire league. The 21-year-old has notched six double-doubles through 16 games as well as a pair of 30-point performances.

Holmgren is averaging 18. 1 points, 8. 0 rebounds, 2.

5 assists and 2. 3 blocks per contest while shooting 63. 5% from two, 43.

8% from three and 88. 1% from the free throw line. He’s been incredibly productive on both ends while also maintaining elite efficiency.

When comparing Oklahoma City’s 7-footer against other centers around the league, it becomes even more clear just how special he’s been thus far. Holmgren is top 15 in points, assists and steals per game among all centers, while also blocking the fourth most shots. Showcasing his unique modern skillset, he’s also fifth in free throw percentage and second in 3-point efficiency of all NBA centers.

Bigger picture, he’s the fifth ranked center in terms of box plus/minus. MORE FOR YOU Why The Sacramento Kings Should Explore A Zach LaVine Trade Two-Way Thunder: How OKC Has Been So Effective On The Defensive End Golden State Warriors Tolerate NBA Bad Boy Draymond Green For A Reason For a variety of reasons, there’s a case to be made for Holmgren being one of the ten best centers in the league already as a rookie. Looking more broadly than just the center position, Holmgren ranks highly as well.

Especially when benchmarking his advanced stats, it’s truly remarkable how he stacks up against the rest of the league. It starts with efficiency, which is what makes Holmgren so special on the offensive end. Not only is he able to break out and score at a high level on any given night, but he never forces it and ensures he takes quality attempts.

He’s notched the fourth highest true shooting percentage in the NBA this season (69. 3%), which is a metric intended to more accurately calculate a player’s shooting than field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three-point field goal percentage taken individually. To further quantify his efficiency, Holmgren ranks seventh in the NBA in effective field goal percentage (64.

2%), which is a statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while standard field goals only count for two points. As good as the offensive side of the ball has been for Holmgren as a rookie, he’s really known for his defensive impact. When comparing him to every other player in the league individually, the Thunder rookie holds the ninth highest defensive rating on the season at 106.

0 thus far. When considering both sides of the floor and overall impact, Holmgren’s advanced stats really shine. He’s ninth in the league in win shares (2.

3) and 12th in box plus/minus (5. 9), showing just how great his team has been when he is on the floor. When looking at Player Efficiency Rating (PER) — which is intended to measure a player’s overall contributions into one metric — Holmgren is 16th in the entire NBA.

Furthermore, he ranks 13th in Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) which a box score estimate of the points per 100 team possessions that a player contributed above a replacement-level player. Finally, Holmgren holds the sixth highest Estimated Plus-Minus ( EPM ) in the NBA to this point, which is an all-in-one player metric that estimates a player’s contribution to the team in points per 100 possessions for individual seasons. Whether you compare Thunder center Chet Holmgren against rookies, NBA centers or the entire league, he always stands out as one of the best in the group across the board.

A player that legitimately does it all on both ends, he is already emerging as one of the best young players in the entire NBA. Follow me on Twitter . Nick Crain Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.