One opposing coach argues Chet Holmgren is 'the No. 1 rim protector in the league'

Chet Holmgren is the best rim protector in the NBA. Well, at least that's what 2025 Coach of the Year, Kenny Atkinson, believes.

Holmgren is a lengthy 7-footer who stays out of foul trouble and locks down the paint. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging his greatness on that end, but most would say Victor Wembanyama is the premier rim protector in basketball.

These two will be compared for years to come. While the masses will scoff at Atkinson's declaration, there is data, reasoning, and a ridiculous historical record behind that bold statement. I'm sure I won't convince you that Holmgren is superior to Wemby, but I want to get that look off your face when you hear a great coach give a basketball opinion you disagree with.

Victor Wembanyama is not miles ahead of Chet Holmgren as a rim protector

Wemby had negative odds to win Defensive Player of the Year in October. Negative anything is insane at the beginning of the year, but that's how special Wemby is defensively. The only thing that's holding him back from running that award for a decade is — playing enough games and Chet Holmgren.

Rim protection is arguably the most important aspect of team defense. On-ball defenders can work until they can't, but blow-bys will inevitably occur. It's on the anchor to help out on blow bys, challenge and deter shots at the rim, and to alert teammates about everything going on.

Wemby is nothing short of sensational in those categories, but Holmgren is near or better in some of them. Let's start with challenging shots at the rim. Per PBP Stats, opponents shoot 52 percent on 130 attempts with Wemby at the rim. Sub-50's is a ridiculous rim protection number, but Holmgren has him beat here.

Holmgren is suffocating any paint goers as they shoot 47 percent on 200 attempts with Holmgren at the rim. Not only are opponents finishing less frequently with Holmgren defending the rim, but his volume defending said shots is higher than Wemby's, too.

One could argue that Holmgren doesn't strike the same fear in opponents like Wemby does, so opponents shoot more against Holmgren. There's some validity there as Wemby challenges 0.0803 shots at the rim per possession, and Holmgren is at 0.0961. These two are close in many categories.

Bball-Index has a rim deterrence value that measures "the rate at which opposing team offenses generate shots at the rim as a percentage of total shots more or less while the defender is on-court."

Nobody is excited to challenge Holmgren. His rim deterrence grades out to an A-. That's elite. But he's no Wemby there. Wemby grades out as an A+ and is ranked No. 1 player out of 508 players (Holmgren 59th).

We constantly see guys make U-turn business decisions because the 7-foot-5 Wemby is patrolling the paint. He's one of the great deterents the game has seen.

The effect each anchor has on the game is massive. Numbers are very funky here, but they support Holmgren as well. The OKC Thunder have a 105.3 defensive rating with Holmgren on the floor, while San Antonio has a 107.8 rating with Wemby on.

The funny numbers stem from the fact that OKC is littered with All-Defense perimeter defenders, which makes the job of a rim protector easier. The Spurs also get nearly nine points worse with Wemby off, while the Thunder get worse with Holmgren off but remain elite.

Victor Wembanyama is better, but it's not a crime to acknowledge Chet Holmgren

A lot of the numbers here are close, as these two (along with Rudy Gobert) are the standards for rim protection in 2026. All of these guys do it without fouling, which indicates they're in the correct positions and not chasing highlight blocks.

Holmgren is the current DPOY favorite. In part because Wemby probably won't meet the 65-game requirements and because Holmgren is that good.

I won't let you forget that Holmgren is anchoring one of the best defenses ever relative to the league (per PBP Stats):

• Thunder in 2025-26: 10.32 points better than league average
• Spurs in 2003-04: 8.5
• Celtics in 2007-08: 8.2
• Bucks in 2019-20: 7.65
• Pistons in 2003-04: 7.49

Those are some heavy hitters anchoring their teams to historic status. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Brook Lopez plus Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Ben Wallace are like the rim protection hall of fame.

Again, Holmgren does have great defenders around him, but he's the engine that allows those pesky defenders to do their work. The best defense (if they hold up) ever is nothing to scoff at.

Neither is the idea that Holmgren is the guy in this conversation. I know Wemby is Wemby, but Holmgren is special in his own right, and Kenny Atkinson highlighting it, going against the consensus, proves how good the probable Defensive Player of the Year is.

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