Why Isaiah Hartenstein’s Return is a Big Deal for OKC Thunder

Oklahoma City has had less than ideal injury luck this season, and that’s putting it lightly. It feels like the regular rotation, the core group of players, has hardly spent any time on the court together. And coming up on the All-Star break, that’s certainly not a good thing.

Only four players, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, and Cason Wallace have played over 40 games this season. As of Wednesday night, Oklahoma City has played 48 total games. Key players have been absent, and this Thunder team has had to figure out how to keep wining games.

Help is on the way, though, and hopefully, more help will follow in the coming weeks. Oklahoma City’s big man, Isaiah Hartenstein, is finally off of the injury report and will be a massive boost to the lineup. Hartenstein hasn’t played in over a month, last suiting up on December 28th. And the Thunder have certainly felt his absence.

Oklahoma City has lost the rebounding battle in six of its last seven games, and it has been even more noticeable in losses. Specifically on the offensive glass, the Thunder have given up way too many extra possessions. With both Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams also missing time, the front court rotation has had to be extremely creative. With Hartenstein back in the fold, Oklahoma City can get back to its regular action — back to the basics.

Hartenstein is having one of the best seasons of his career, but he hasn’t been on the court as much as Oklahoma City would prefer. He has played in just half of the team’s games so far this season. When he has been on the court, though, he has been a game changer. He’s averaging 11.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 64.4% from the floor.

Having his presence on the floor not only helps on the boards, but it opens up so much. He has proven to be an elite screener and an offensive hub. He has great chemistry with the Thunder's guards. It also takes some of the pressure off of his running mate, Holmgren. Without Hartenstein, Holmgren has had to play perfect for Oklahoma City to have success. Now, he has some reinforcements.

Hartenstein has stayed active in the huddle and in the locker room, as Mark Daigneault mentioned he has handled the absence like a true professional. But it’s a completely different game changer when he’s on the floor and impacting the game on both ends.