The Oklahoma City Thunder saw Isaiah Hartenstein make his regular season debut after missing the first 15 games of the season in a 109-99 win against the Portland Trail Blazers. Even though Hartenstein came off the bench, his performance was encouraging for the Thunder as they address their major issues at center since Chet Holmgren’s injury.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander heaped Hartenstein with praise after his debut for his positive impact on the contest.
“It was amazing. He changed the game,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Obviously, his rebounding, his rim protection, his IQ, and he’s still a little bit rusty out there. But he changed the game for sure. He’s an anchor. He sees everything, lets you know early, and loud. And it’s great to have that behind you. It allows you to adhere to the ball, be aggressive, be decisive defensively. Yeah, he was special tonight, for sure.”
Jalen Williams, who has filled in at center in the absence of Holmgren and Hartenstein, was full of praise for Hartenstein’s return and specifically praised him for the work he did to ensure he stayed in shape after his preseason injury.
“I think the biggest thing I saw was just how hard he was working to stay in shape. That’s a really hard thing to do when you’re hurt, especially when you can’t use your dominant hand,” Williams said. “So, a lot of it is just actually running, and you know, you guys post on [X] the ball-handling stuff. So, you guys say that. But I think just coming in there day in and day out, knowing you have to condition and work on your game without your dominant hand, is tough.
“He made the most of it, and now he’s coming back. I didn’t really see the ramp-up, obviously, we’ve been on the road or gone when he got the cast off. I assume he was working just as hard when he got the cast off.”
Hartenstein put up 13 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks off the bench in his debut for the Thunder, ending the game as a team-high +16.
He was visibly impactful, helping the Thunder finally offset their rebounding disadvantage with a solid center with the ability to hold his own on the perimeter. He’s weaving in offensively as well, making smart passes and picking his spots.
The offensive chemistry is bound to improve when the Thunder see the extent of Hartenstein’s skillset, but it’s off to a great start. The Thunder are 12-4 so far this season but will hopefully avoid losses like their recent one to the San Antonio Spurs with a readily available big man to help them not be the smallest team in the NBA right now.
Holmgren is still months away from his first reevaluation while backup center Jaylin Williams will be slowly ramping up for a return to complete the Thunder’s big-man rotation for now.
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