Inside The Thunder

Hartenstein Proved His Value for OKC Thunder as a Facilitator in Debut

His three assists and constant activity in ball screens make Hartenstein a unique option as a passer and hub for the OKC offense.

Michael Stamps

Nov 20, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) dunks between Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) and forward Toumani Camara (33) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Nov 20, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) dunks between Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) and forward Toumani Camara (33) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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Most of the discourse around German center Isaiah Hartenstein for the OKC Thunder revolved around him as a rebounder and defender. He helped out in those areas in his debut against the Portland Trail Blazers, but the work he did as a facilitator and playmaker out of the center spot was both surprising and impactful.

While on the court, the core group of OKC guards used Hartenstein as a hub for dribble-handoffs, pick-and-rolls, lobs and more. When he had the ball, outside of the low post and usually in the high post, Hartenstein would use his body to clear out and create space, giving him floor space to find either the basket or his next target.

It's clear that Hartenstein has unusual passing instincts and skills for a center. For example, in the second quarter, guard Jalen Williams dumped the ball off to find Hartenstein on the high post. Hartenstein had Portland guards Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson in front of him, with his teammate, Alex Caruso, under the basket. He proceeded to pass-fake once, take a single dribble, pass-fake again and find Caruso under the basket for a layup. This sequence perfectly captured his fluidity and intelligence as a passer, a much-welcomed skill for the Thunder on offense.

Not only is Hartenstein intelligent as a passer, but he is crafty. On the same play, he found Ajay Mitchell and Dillon Jones using behind-the-back passes. Neither resulted in points on the scoreboard and surely Hartenstein was disappointed nothing came of his two flashy passes, but the creativity he displayed was impressive and maybe surprising to some.

It seems as if Hartenstein never stops moving on the offensive end. He frequently sought out the ball against the Trail Blazers and while guarded by rookie center Donovan Clingan, found it easy to get the ball in drop coverage off of hand-offs. Hartenstein posesses an underrated skill, being the ability to turn around quickly after receiving the ball to analyze what's in front of him.

On multiple possessions, Hartenstein would get multiple touches off ball screens and hand-offs. Hartenstein is a frequent and powerful screener and he seeks out the contact, a primary reason for him being in so many ball-screen situations. His constant activity also makes it harder to guard him as a scoring threat, regardless of his playmaking ability.

Until the return of Hartenstein, Oklahoma City severely lacked height on the floor. The Thunder did not sport a center between forward Chet Holmgren's injury and Hartenstein's return, so the 29 minutes he played against Portland aided in rebounding the ball. He wasn't perfect, matching his three assists with three turnovers. He committed fouls late in the game that could have easily been blocks, and he found himself lost occasionally on defensive assignments.

It will take time for Hartenstein to acclimate to the Thunder's play style, but his 13-point, 14-rebound outing in his debut game was a positive sign. If his first regular-season appearance for OKC was any sort of indicator for how the rest of the season will go, Oklahoma City has another versatile in its arsenal.

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Michael Stamps
MICHAEL STAMPS

Michael is a sophomore from Papillion, NE who is currently a student at the University of Missouri studying journalism. He covers the university’s football program at Missouri Tigers on SI and is the co-sports editor for The Maneater, the student publication for the university.

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