Four-Day Hiatus Offers Time for Isaiah Hartenstein to Settle in as a Thunder

The OKC Thunder are just barely above .500 with Chet Holmgren's absence. And as Isaiah Hartenstein made his debut against the Portland Trail Blazers, he'll have to find time to further settle in.

Oct 9, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) gestures after a play against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Since Chet Holmgren's absence, the Thunder have found itself struggling defensively and on the defensive glass--naturally.

It's been a rocky road without him thus far throughout seven games, with Oklahoma City barely keeping its head above .500 going 4-3 in that span. It's clear what they're missing of course, and now that Isaiah Hartenstein is back to health, this means that he can supplant that position. And while he isn't the player that Holmgren is, Hartenstein has the opportunity to be just as valuable during this stretch of games in Holmgren's place.

In his Thunder debut, the 7-foot, 255-pound center logged 29 minutes off the bench--amassing a double-double with 13 points and 14 boards along with four blocks and three assists. He's not a one-trick pony, and it was known Hartenstein would add some real value to the rebounding category upon his arrival. He has a golden opportunity to showcase that at a heightened level being the only center available on the Thunder roster.

Now, looking ahead to the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 25, the Thunder and Hartenstein have a chance to really game plan and get into a groove in practice before their next contest. A full four days in between games, Hartenstein will have to take hold of this long hiatus and decipher how to best integrate into the Thunder offense--and while he looked great shooting 50% from the floor on his 13 points, the Trail Blazers are a less talented team who gave the Thunder a run for its money on Wednesday night.

The transition from Holmgren to Hartenstein won't be seamless against stronger opponents, but it surely beats not having a center at all--and it might even help with the reintegration of Holmgren back into the Oklahoma City lineup.

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