Chet Holmgren said Hartenstein's injury is a gut punch but a survivable one. OKC's double-big lineup was one of the most anticipated lineups this season. The Hartenstein-Holmgren

Holmgren will become the first Thunder player to be named an All-Star in his second season. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were third-year players. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was in his fifth season when he made his All-Star debut. More: We simulated OKC's 2024-25 season on 'NBA 2K25.' Can the Thunder win a championship?

The Oklahoma City Thunder won't change too much during Isaiah Hartenstein's absence, according to Chet Holmgren.

There are skilled passers such as Denver's Nikola Jokic and Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis. There are 3-point shooters such as New York's Karl-Anthony Towns and OKC's Chet Holmgren. And of course, there are still dominant rim protectors such as Philadelphia's Joel Embiid and Minnesota's Rudy Gobert.

The untimely injury dampened the team’s early momentum and definitely is a mood-killer ahead of a pressure-packed season. But the good thing is that OKC has plenty of experience winning basketball games before adding the star big man. And a lot of that is thanks to the team’s 22-year-old center.