Could Chet Holmgren vs. Victor Wembanyama Be a New NBA Rivalry?

It was the Chet Holmgren, and Victor Wembanyama show in the NBA preseason on Tuesday night as two of the league’s brightest young talents faced off in a lanky battle in the paint. Both were able to pour in 20 points as they each looked ready for the season ahead.

Tuesday night was an exciting look ahead to what the future of the NBA could be. Young talents Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama went toe-to-toe as the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs faced off in the preseason, where both looked promising in their preseason debuts. The matchup had us thinking if this could be the next big player rivalry in the NBA. We discuss what factors could help pit these two against each other for years to come in the world of basketball.

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ROY Favorites

Nothing helps spark a career-long player rivalry like a good ole’ Rookie of the Year race. Along with Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson, these two are the heavy betting favorites for the award this season in what should be a fun race all season long. Wembanyama is +125 at BetMGM, followed by Holmgren and Henderson (tied at +300), the Gonzaga product pulling in the most action. We saw an enticing matchup between the two in preseason, and their upcoming matchups in November and January should make for some must-watch basketball. 

Similar Builds

While it would be lazy to call Holmgren and Wembanyama the same player, their builds do create similarities in their game that make them easier to compare. Both posing freakish heights on undersized frames, there have been questions surrounding their durability for an 82-game NBA season. It caused plenty to point towards it as their potential weakness.

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Massive Ceilings

These two giants possess massive ceilings based on their ability to create for themselves at even bigger heights than Kevin Durant. It’s what truly separates them from the rest. We’ve seen the league struggle to stop Durant doing so at 6’10”, so to see both of these guys doing it at over seven feet tall leaves them with more potential than perhaps any prospects we have ever seen. In a league that has gotten so invested in raw potential and upside when it comes to younger prospects, it’s no surprise these two continue to steal headlines with their massive ceilings.

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