How is Chet Holmgren a rookie? Closer look at why 2022 lottery pick is eligible to compete for ROY honors

The Rookie of the Year race is close this season as Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama are the headliners. Both centers have performed well so far, exciting fans for what the future holds for them. While many are impressed with Holmgren, there have been questions on why he's considered a rookie.

The OKC Thunder center was drafted in 2022 with the No. 2 pick. He was a fan favorite to win the 2022-23 Rookie of the Year award. Unfortunately, Holmgren was injured during an appearance at a Pro-Am game in Seattle. The 7-foot-1 center tried his best to defend LeBron James, who also played that time.

He missed his entire rookie season due to the injury, which needed a lengthy recovery period. Holmgren joined Blake Griffin, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons as players who were sidelined during their first year in the league due to injuries. This leads to the question, how is the Thunder center a rookie?

Given that Holmgen has not played a single season, his supposed sophomore season automatically becomes his official rookie year. Just like previous players who have had a similar case, the 21-year-old can still be part of the Rookie of the Year race.

Back in 2009, Griffin was drafted No. 1 by the LA Clippers. The six-time All-Star suffered a knee injury, resulting in him being sidelined. He made his debut the following season and battled against John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins for the award.

The same thing happened to Simmons, who was drafted in 2016 with the No. 1 pick by the Philadelphia 76ers. The Australian guard suffered an ankle injury before his rookie season began. He missed the 2016-17 season and made his official NBA debut in the 2017-18 season, eventually winning Rookie of the Year honors.

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Chet Holmgren registers five blocks in the first half

OKC is playing against the Memphis Grizzlies and Chet Holmgren is putting on a defensive clinic. In the first half, Holmgren had five blocks, including an excellent first-quarter performance where he had three blocks.

The rookie out of Gonzaga has shown his incredible intelligence on the defensive end. Holmgren is currently averaging 2.7 blocks this season, which is second among rookies. He's had three games where he had five or more blocks, making him a defensive threat.

In their previous game, Holmgren had eight blocks against the Denver Nuggets. His defensive performance helped the Thunder win 118-117, against the defending champions.