NBA Rookie of the Year ladder: Chet and Wemby trade blows, Ausar on the rise

It's impossible to deny the scale of Wembanyama's output as the Spurs' focal point. But... Chet Holmgren still commands the top spot in these rankings. It's close, but I'm not entirely sure it's a proper debate. It will become a debate as Wemby gets more comfortable, but Holmgren has the three-week ROY award signed, sealed, and delivered.

The Thunder are 4-3 with a couple of close losses to contenders. Out of the gates, Holmgren is the second-best player on a legitimate winner. He is an absolute monster on defense (guess who's next on the stocks list behind Wemby and Thompson). Holmgren processes the game at an extremely high level; he's a controlled tempest of arms and attitude, deploying his 7-foot-7 wingspan as both a rim deterrent and a perimeter wall. He's guarding all over the floor and covering an absurd amount of ground for an OKC team that prioritizes positional flexibility.

Holmgren doesn't have the same freedom as Wembanyama on offense, but he has absolutely thrived in a condensed role for OKC. He has the luxury of playing off of multiple talented creators. Holmgren is averaging 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on .557/.538/.900 splits in 29.9 minutes. He's an elite rim finisher, a direct-deposit shooter beyond the arc, and a legitimate fourth or fifth playmaking arm for the Thunder's hydra-esque offense. Holmgren frequently grabs and goes in transition and he's comfortable attacking closeouts, pressuring the rim, and creating for teammates off of drives.

The 3-point percentage will come back down to earth eventually, but Holmgren is a legitimate DPOY candidate, an elite lob threat, and an elite spot-up shooter. He checks so many boxes and he has been remarkably solid for a team that's ready to compete now. Holmgren doesn't have the same turnover or efficiency qualms as Wembanyama. That is the separating factor at this moment in time.

Wembanyama's role will expand as the season progresses and he is more foundational to the Spurs' success. Holmgren is playing next to a potential MVP candidate, Wemby is "the man." But, Holmgren's role will expand, too. As the Thunder start to trust him more as a secondary creator and go-to scorer, the highlights will only get more absurd.

This could end up being a much more competitive Rookie of the Year campaign than initially expected, largely because Holmgren is not here to mess around. He is going straight for the jugular, as is the entire Thunder team.