New OKC Thunder Big Man Isaiah Hartenstein Already Embodying the Team’s Mindset

Isaiah Hartenstein’s first interview with the team sounded like he has been bought into the philosophy for forever.

May 14, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) rebounds against Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) during the second half during game five of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City officially introduced Isaiah Hartenstein on Saturday, and it already feels like a match made in heaven. Sam Presti spoke with high praise for the big man and Hartenstein praised the Thunder’s system up and down.

Of course, the fit on the court looks perfect. Oklahoma City needed a physical presence to give Chet Holmgren a break from all the bulls and bruises down low. The team also needed an elite screener to open up the floor. Hartenstein also mentioned his desire to rediscover his 3-point stroke if it’s in the cards, too.

But as we’ve learned over the years, Oklahoma City doesn’t just look for talent and fit. The team looks for an aligning mindset and adds not only the player, but the person too. If Saturday was any indication, Hartenstein feels like the perfect fit on and off the court.

“I feel like, again, what Mark (Daigneault) said before, it’s a process,” Hartenstein said. “We’re 0-0 now, so going in and saying ‘Oh we’re gonna win a championship right away,’ I feel like that’s the wrong approach. I feel like when you do that, you let games slip. For us, the main thing is going step by step, knowing we’re a great team and having confidence we can win every game, but you just can’t skip steps.”

He talked like someone who has spent a lot of time with Presti and Daigneault discussing strategy and where he fits into the fold. His mindset aligns perfectly with this young Thunder team and he’ll certainly be able to help right away.

In addition to his 0-0 approach, he also discussed how he shares a similar view with Daigneault. That view is actually one of the main things that drew him to Oklahoma City.

“I think one of the questions that really helped a lot, was I asked what he thinks it takes to take the next step, and to win a championship. And the biggest thing was the process, not skipping steps. That’s kind of how I approach every day of my life, so him having that same mindset with the team was very intriguing to me. 

“Because a lot of other people try to tell you a story or say ‘We can do this to win a championship,’ but him coming in saying we have to take it step by step was great. Role? I’m just here to do whatever the team needs to do to win. I’ve been in a lot of different situations, I know how to adapt, but the way they play here is really exciting to me. I feel like I can expand my game a lot, especially offensively.”

Of course, the on-court fit will have the final say. But so far, so good for Hartenstein in OKC.

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