Without Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein must step up

Hartenstein will have some big shoes to fill. Holmgren currently sits third in the NBA with 2.6 blocks per game. His size and mobility was a core part of the Thunder's elite defense, which is currently ranked as the best in the NBA. 

Fortunately for Oklahoma, Hartenstein is a battle-tested commodity. He will bring size, mobility and toughness to the rotation. However, the Thunder will lose their floor spacing from the center position. Hartenstein is a career 31% three-point shooter with 0.3 points per game. As such, Mark Daigneault may need to tweak his approach. 

Oklahoma could position Hartenstein in the weakside slot — an option growing in popularity around the league for non-shooting bigs. Or, the Thunder could lean into Hartenstein's passing, both as a playmaker and dribble hand-off hub on the perimeter.

Whatever Daigneault decides to do, the Thunder may experience an adjustment period. They will likely continue winning games but have periods where they're not as dominant, at least in the short term. Nevertheless, Holmgren's absence proves the front office was right to snag Hartenstein on the free agency market.

Now, Hartenstein must prove he can anchor the Thunder's starting unit. If he can, we may see his value take another leap, just at it did last season in New York.