OKC Thunder Continue to Succeed Despite Missing Star Big Man

Since the Thunder lost its second-year forward, its managed to find ways to win with different personnel.

Dec 10, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) speaks to a tv reporter after his team defeated the Dallas Mavericks at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

When the Oklahoma City Thunder lost forward Chet Holmgren, the outlook of a growingly positive season for the Thunder shifted. Holmgren was off to an electric start and looked much-improved from his rookie year, but a unique hip injury continues to keep him sidelined.

Despite losing Holmgren early in the season, Mark Daigneault has his team playing at a continous high level. Oklahoma City is 11-3 since losing Holmgren and is one of the best offensive and defensive teams in the league. Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a certified candidate for Most Valuable Player, averaging 30.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.

OKC is 11-3 in the one month since Chet Holmgren got hurt.

11-3!

NBA's #1 net rating. Only team in top 5 in both offensive and defensive rating.

Endless lockdown perimeter defenders. SGA remains an MVP candidate. Isaiah Hartenstein is a perfect fit. The Thunder are LOADED.

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) December 11, 2024

As a team, the Thunder are the best statistical defensive team in the NBA. They have the lowest defensive rating of any team with 103. 4 and the eighth-best offensive rating of 115.4, good for the best net rating in the entire NBA at 12. OKC possesses a plethora of standout defensive guards, including Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, Lu Dort and others. When it comes to defending the perimeter, there might not be a team in the NBA as good as the Thunder are at it.

Arguably the biggest addition to the team came from the return of center Isaiah Hartenstein. After suffering an early injury, Holmgren was relied on as the sole big man until his eventual injury. Without both of them, Oklahoma City completely lacked size and lost the rebounding battle every game they played without the pair. Now, with Hartenstein back, there's new energy and life on the court for the Thunder.

Since his first appearance against the Portland Trail Blazers, it was clear that Hartenstein was going to be impactful around the rim, as a protector and rebounder. He's averaging 11.6 points, 12.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He's also averaging just over a block per contest, the most of anyone on the team since Holmgren's exit.

Basically, since Holmgren went down, what he brought to the table for the Thunder has been filled in. Hartenstein, guard Aaron Wiggins and others are averaging career-highs in the scoring department, with a consistent group of rotation players behind its two stars to provide scoring in different ways. Hartenstein has easily filled in the rebounding role Holmgren held and may not be the same level of shot blocker, but still is a presence around the rim.

Holmgren isn't a replaceable player. His mobility and guard-like tendencies for his size and position are rare and his presence is missed. OKC's ability to fill the roles he played continues to be impressive, showing that with or without its big man, Oklahoma City can win games.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.