Isaiah Hartenstein's Fit in Oklahoma City's Offensive Scheme

Adding another 7-footer to the Thunder roster, Isaiah Hartenstein's fit in Oklahoma City's five-out scheme could still fit like a glove.

Apr 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) shoots against Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during the second quarter of game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

As a 7-foot-1, versatile scoring big man in Isaiah Hartenstein joins the Oklahoma City Thunder, idealizing how he will perform in the team's offensive game plan is massive in terms of his role and personnel alongside him.

Coming from New York, Hartenstein's fit in their system as a 49-game starter averaging 25.3 minutes per game saw him consistently hovering around the rim for scores -- giving him 7.8 points a night on the season on 64.4% shooting.

In Oklahoma City, he'll bring that same interior scoring advantage, but will also have to shift to the outside seeing the Thunder will continue to hinge off its five-out offense of dynamic shooters and playmakers. For Hartenstein, that alteration shouldn't be too difficult to adjust to, especially noting how agile he can be at his size with his ability to rescreen, slip, roll and attack with the ball in his hands when sagged off of.

But he won't necessarily be a liability from outside either. In his career, Hartenstein is a 31% career 3-point shooter, having his best season from beyond the arc two years ago as a 46.7% shooter on 30 total attempts for the L.A. Clippers. And with a developmental staff such as Oklahoma City's, he'll likely have much more freedom to launch the trey ball compared to this last season with the Knicks, only shooting just three times from outside on the year.

Whether or not the majority of his time on the floor will come with Chet Holmgren is still uncertain, but his fit alongside the rest of Oklahoma City's budding roster should be seamless. Dealing damage as the screen man in the pick and roll, he and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be another serious problem as a one-two punch for the coming years.

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