CHRONICLE: A young Peru wins the Pacific Classic against Chile under 23
This pair of talented rookies share more than one characteristic. Both are over 2.15m tall, play as a power forward, have a long and lanky build that brings to mind Kevin Durant’s first years in the league and is far from players like Giannis Antetokounmpo today. In addition, their teams, the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC), belong to the Western Conference.
Although “Wemby” is the new face and hope of the iconic Spurs and Chet represents the bright future of OKC, only one will have a better chance of qualifying for the Western Conference Playoffs and winning the Rookie of the Year (ROY) award. .
Wembanyama high fives teammates on the bench during the second half of the NBA game at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on Nov. 2. Photographer: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
/ Christian Petersen
Less is more?
Injuries are a part of life for athletes and Wembanyama is beginning to process it. On Christmas Eve, he sprained his right ankle and was sidelined for a couple of games. Since his return, coach Gregg Popovich and his assistants have chosen to limit his time on the court. While fans crave 36 minutes of French-style magic, the management refuses and set the limit at 26.
Wembanyama does not like restriction, however he has been able to make the most of every second, demonstrating an enviable production that places him as the leader in the race for the ROY. In the last 5 games, Victor is averaging 23.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. As if that were not enough, he achieved the first triple-double of his career (16 PTS, 12 REB and 10 AST) in just 21 minutes of play. In NBA history, only Russell Westbrook needed less time to achieve this feat, 20 minutes to be exact.
This photo looks edited, but no, it’s REAL. Víctor Wembanyama dunking in front of Marvin Bagley (he is 2.08m tall) pic.twitter.com/zulUnCwbig
— Passion Basket (@PasionBasketNBA) January 21, 2024
LOOK: What awaits Chemo’s Sub 23 in the Pre-Olympic without its figures | REPORT
Rematches exist
In this fight to be the best young talent, Chet Holmgren is the perfect definition that in life there is always a second chance. Chet, unlike “Wemby”, belongs to the Class of 2022 of the NBA Draft, the one in which the current leader of the Orlando Magic, Paolo Banchero, captured all the flashes and awards. Unfortunately, the agile, elastic and key player of OKC did not see action during that year due to an injury to his right foot.
Holmgren’s physical and mental recovery made him the protagonist of the YouTube short film called “The Journey of a Unicorn.” The center’s evolution is such that he has become the most impactful rookie since Tim Duncan. His individual production and collective success, the Thunder is the second best team in the West with a record of 26-11, elevate Holmgren to the top 10 of most voted players to participate in the 2024 NBA All-Star.
Chet Holmgren nails the 3 just before halftime!
Thunder-Jazz | Live on the NBA App
📲 pic.twitter.com/dI0vnRTUSQ— NBA (@NBA) January 19, 2024
Who will finally win the recognition? There is still time for things to change and these two guys to surprise us.
2024-01-23 05:26:34
#Wembanyama #Holmgren #epic #battle #stars #Rockie #season #NBA
