Merry Blockmas: Chet Holmgren Takes No. 1 Spot in CBS Sports' Rookie Rankings

Merry Christmas, Oklahoma City Thunder fans.

As the NBA's Rookie of the Year race continues to rage on, both primary candidates continue to make their cases for taking home the hardware. For the San Antonio Spurs, that's Victor Wembanyama and his one-man show on both ends of the floor. 

It's impressive, yes, but a vastly different situation than the Thunder's own 7-foot rookie. Chet Holmgren has been getting less attention and has dealt with less responsibilities, but that doesn't mean his stats have been any less impressive, or impactful. And that's why he's once again taken the No. 1 spot on CBS Sports' weekly Rookie Rankings.

"Chet Holmgren is in the lead for Rookie of the Year, and that says more about his performance than it does about Victor Wembanyama's," the site wrote in its ranking. "Sure, you could make the argument that Wemby is being asked to do more, and if the roles were reversed, he would be putting up the same, if not better, numbers as Holmgren, but that doesn't diminish what the Thunder rookie has done so far.

"His efficiency, rim protection and clutch shot making on multiple occasions has made him incredibly valuable to OKC's [18-9] start." 

Holmgren so far has averaged 17.2 points, eight rebounds and 3.5 stocks — making him a true dual-threat. On the court, he's a proven impactor and off of it, he's been pivotal to Oklahoma City's chemistry. He's been pivotal to the young team's early success, and only has room to grow. 

The last string of games has proven that. 

Between his 15-block two-game stretch, his four-straight double-doubles and his efficiency from beyond the arc, Holmgren is playing like a true veteran in a well-put together system. 

"Those are just flat out video game numbers," the site continued. "And, yes, while we've seen some other players put up blocks in bunches, like Victor Wembanyama's eight-block game earlier this season, we rarely see a player put up more than five blocks in back-to-back games." 

"If players don't know already, they'll start to figure out that even if Holmgren isn't lurking underneath the basket, he could come flying in out of nowhere for a block."

Holmgren has already established a sense of reliability on defense and an asset on offense. That makes him extremely valuable to Oklahoma City and a threat to the rest of the league. So, why not give him the top spot? 

He's certainly earned it. 

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