NBA: Paul George Reveals Rookie of the Year Pick Between Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren

During the latest episode of his Podcast P with Paul George presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, the Clippers forward gave his take on the current battle for Rookie of the Year between Wembanyama and Holmgren.

George believes both players are deserving, especially since they have been on a neck-and-neck battle for the honor throughout the season.

Nonetheless, PG13 believes Wemby has some edge because he’s asked to do more for a Spurs team that is rebuilding. As for Holmgren, playing on a good team, the pressure on him isn’t comparable to what the Frenchman is dealing with.

Furthermore, despite the massive expectations on Wemby, George sees the young Spurs star handling it well.

“This is a tough one because at one point Wemby goes ahead and the next point Chet goes ahead. It’s a toss up, to be honest like both of them are really deserving of the Rookie of the Year award. It is tough like people always bring up “Is Chet worthy?” because he’s not technically a rookie. But at the same time, this is his first official NBA season. So it is like it’s a tough debate because you’re almost stealing like somebody else’s like year. You know what I mean?” George explained.

“I’m gonna give it to Wemby. Chet’s on a winning team, he’s got a great group of young guys around him so not much pressure is like solely on him. 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 the talent is as high as Oklahoma’s, so he’s relied upon to do a lot on a nightly basis and he’s doing it. Yeah, his team isn’t winning as much as Chet’s team but that’s because Chet’s team is better, and I think he’s handling and with the expectation he’s doing a great job.”

What George says certainly makes sense. While Holmgren is putting up great numbers as well, the fact of the matter is his work isn’t being focused on because he’s playing behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s also not the consistent second option, with Jalen Williams starring for the Oklahoma City Thunder as well.

As for Wembanyama, with the Spurs relying on him on a nightly basis, he gets to show what he’s capable of. His growth has been really apparent as well.

Victor Wembanyama vs. Chet Holmgren Stats

At the time of writing, Victor Wembanyama is averaging 20.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals and a league-leading 3.4 blocks per game. He is also shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from deep.

Despite his numbers, however, the San Antonio Spurs have struggled in what is mainly viewed as a rebuilding season. San Antonio is 14-50 entering Monday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.

Chet Holmgren, on the other hand, is putting up 16.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocks per game, all while shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from the 3-point line.

Wemby’s numbers, aside from the shooting splits, are certainly better than Holmgren. But the Thunder have the best record in the West, and so for Holmgren to produce such numbers for a team with plenty of talent, it certainly deserves a lot more credit.

At the end of the day though, as Paul George said, both are deserving to win.