Last season, the Thunder’s biggest weakness was the lack of front-court depth behind Chet Holmgren. The Thunder addressed those issues by adding Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. However, in the preseason, Hartenstein suffered a left-hand fracture and missed the start of the season. This became a bigger problem, with backup center Jaylin Williams not playing at all this year. In addition, Holmgren suffered a hip injury and is out for the foreseeable future. The Thunder have been playing these last few games with no center healthy. However, Hartenstein recently returned and has played one game at the time of this writing. Today, we will analyze how Hartenstein’s return impacts the Thunder.
Isaiah Hartenstein’s Impact on the Thunder
Thunder Finally Has a Rim Protector Again
The Thunder with Holmgren were a force on the defensive end to begin the season. His ability to deter shots at the rim allowed the Thunder to play defense a certain way. Furthermore, it allowed their perimeter defenders to play more aggressively. Since Holmgren’s injury, the Thunder have been playing small ball with no shot-blocking big, and their defense has suffered from it.
Hartenstein’s return allows them to get back to that defense they had at the beginning of the year. While Hartenstein isn’t the shot-blocking big that Holmgren is, he is still one of the better-shot-blocking bigs in the NBA. Regardless of him getting as many blocks as Holmgren, his presence in the paint will be a major upgrade on their defense. Teams won’t be as willing to drive on the Thunder as much with his presence on the floor. Moreover, it will also allow Jalen Williams to not have to cover the other team center, and he can cover other important players. In his first game back against the Portland Trail Blazers, Hartenstein’s impact as a shot blocker was on full display he notched four blocks en route to a 109-99 win.
Hartenstein’s Rebounding
Even with Holmgren, the Thunder were never a great rebounding team, which is why Hartenstein was brought in. He is a bigger-bodied center compared to Chet and can handle the physicality down low needed to get more rebounds as compared to Holmgren. In the five games the Thunder have played small ball, they have been outrebounded in three of those five games. This isn’t unusual for the Thunder however, the amount is way too high. In those three games, they have been outrebounded by 18, 27, and 24. These numbers are too high for you to have any long-term success in the NBA.
With Hartenstein back in the lineup, these numbers should start coming down closer to the single digits. In his first game back, the Thunder were outrebound by three, while Hartenstein grabbed 14 boards in 29 minutes. Hartenstein’s ability to get both defensive rebounds and offensive rebounds will help extend possessions and limit possessions for the opposing team. This will help to limit the opposing teams’ second chance point opportunities that they have been getting, especially paired with their ability to get points in the fast break. The Thunder are hopeful they can get back to their dominant winning ways with Hartenstein’s return.
Hartenstein’s Screen Setting
Finally, the last thing will be his impact on the offensive end. Hartenstein’s impact won’t just be felt on defense it will also be felt on offense. Besides the offensive rebounds he will be able to generate, his passing ability will also be felt. Hartenstein is one of the more underrated passing bigs in the NBA, and his ability to pass will help generate better offense for the Thunder. This ability will be needed, especially in the minutes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t on the court. In his first game back, Hartenstein notched a solid three assists.
In addition to his passing ability, his screen setting will be needed. The Thunder haven’t had a true screening big since Steven Adams was on the team. Hartenstein’s ability to screen and create open space for the player he is screening for will do wonders for the Thunder’s offense. This ability will benefit Shai and Jalen the most as they are the primary ball handlers and initiators on offense. It allows them to get more open looks and easier driving lanes to attack the rim with. In addition, it will help shooters like Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins, get cleaner looks from the perimeter. Notably, in his first game back, Hartenstein had four screen assists, translating to eight points.
Last word on Isaiah Hartenstein’s Impact
Hartenstein’s impact on the Thunder will be felt in multiple ways, and his first game back gave him a sense of his impact. He will allow the Thunder to get back to the style of play they had in the first 10 games they had with Holmgren. While he isn’t the same player as Chet is, Hartenstein will help the Thunder immensely to get through this stretch without Holmgren. Ultimately, getting Hartenstein back will allow OKC to regain its status as one of the best teams in the NBA.
