Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein’s return from injury appears to be imminent. After missing the first 15 games of the season with a broken left handHartenstein was updated to “doubtful” for Wednesday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Hartenstein, 26, suffered what the team called a “small, non-displaced fracture” in his hand during preseason game on October 15 and has been sidelined since. If he is able to make his regular season and team debut for the Thunder on Wednesday, he will fill their glaring hole at center. Since Chet Holmgren broke his hip on November 10, they pivoted to full-time small ball: 6-foot-9 wing Ousmane Dieng is their only player taller than 6-foot-6 to see the floor, and Dieng played a total of five minutes in his. two most recent games. (Jaylin Williams, who stands 6-foot-9 and actually plays center, has been out with a hamstring strain all season.)
Oklahoma City acquired Hartenstein in free agency last summer on a three-year, $87 million contract (with a team option in the final season). The appeal from the addition was obvious: he could solve their rebounding problem, make their defense even stronger and help them diversify their offense. Now, after starting the season 11-4 with the league’s best defense and second-best net rating, the Thunder can finally begin to figure out exactly how Hartenstein fits into their system, albeit without Holmgren.
There may be an adjustment period as Hartenstein’s new teammates learn how to play off him. The span of Oklahoma City will be a little different with him on the court, and, because he is one of the best passing bigs in the leagueit will be able to create offense in ways that it could not before. Don’t be surprised, though, if Hartenstein immediately improves the Thunder on both ends, if only because he’ll get them some extra possessions and help them defend the interior without fouling up. OKC ranks #26 in offensive rebounding percentage, #29 in defensive rebounding percentage and #28 in opponent free throw percentage.
If any part of this process proves difficult, it will likely be when Holmgren comes back into the picture. The 22-year-old has almost exclusively played without another big on the floor during his time with the Thunder, so sharing the frontcourt with Hartenstein might not feel natural right away. Ideally, however, before the end of the season, Oklahoma City will have many repetitions with Hartenstein as the only big, Holmgren as the only big and the two of them together. At this point, the team has already played far more minutes without either of them than it would prefer.
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