Stiles Points: Isaiah Hartenstein Called His Shot With Isaiah Joe

The Oklahoma City Thunder have seen Isaiah Hartenstein dominate in his first stint with the Thunder. The seven-footer called his shot with his pairing alongside Isaiah Joe and the early returns are good.

Nov 27, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) reacts during the first half of the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images / John Hefti-Imagn Images

Babe Ruth against the Cubs in 1932 pointing toward the outfield fence before a moon shot to center, Kenrich Williams in Training Camp of 2022 dishing on then-rookie Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein just weeks ago. These are the best-called shots in sports history.

"It is kinda similar to what it was with Donte [DiVincenzo] last year, just having another guy who can kind of play off the way he shoots it is incredible, it just makes my life easier," Hartenstein said back in October when discussing Isaiah Joe. "Then he also knows how to cut, so it is pretty dangerous...it's been a lot of fun."

The two-man game of Joe and Hartenstein had to be delayed until November after the seven-footer suffered a hand fracture against the Denver Nuggets in the Thunder's second to last preseason game. However, in just 24 possessions logged together, the duo is everything Oklahoma City has longed for.

The Thunder turn in 76 percent shooting in the effective field goal percentage category, hasn't missed a rim attempt thanks to the shooting gravity, 69 percent in the mid-range and 60 percent from beyond the arc.

When those two share the floor, Oklahoma City is averaging 114 points per 100 possessions ranking in the 100th percentile, they draw more fouls than the Thunder typically do and still put up stifling defensive numbers with opponents logging just 78 points per 100 possessions.

Sure, it is a small sample size, but the reason this scribe is so willing to stamp the big-man's excellent comparison is due to how repeatable all of the success looks. Perhaps this is Hartenstein's version of trotting to the batters box, staring down the hurler and aiming his index finger beyond the ivory in deep center field.

A year ago, Hartenstein and DiVincenzo teamed up for 121 points per 100 possessions, 56.8 percent eFG%, and limited matchups to 114 points per 100 possessions shooting 38 percent from deep, 46 percent in the mid-range and 65 percent at the rim on 2,661 possessions. Not so small of a sample size.

Joe is credited as one of the best screeners Mark Daigneault has ever coached and while that is a low bar to clear, Hartenstein has swiftly supplanted him in that category.

However, with those two on the floor and one if not both of superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and rising star Jalen Williams accompanying them, it makes for limitless possibilities for Daigneault's staff.

Against Golden State, when all three were in the Thunder starting five, Oklahoma City ran a horns set with Joe and Hartenstein representing the screeners, Gilgeous-Alexander on the ball as Williams and Dort waited in the corners. That is a lethal set and if ran as often as it should be, could turn into a pick-your-poison outcome for opponents.

Not only are Joe and Hartenstein elite screen-setters to create separation for Gilgeous-Alexander, you can not lose Joe popping out and certainly can not misplace the seven-footer rolling to the rim. That is before you get into secondary actions for the corner men.

What should really make Thunder followers elated is the two-man game between Joe and Hartenstein which on back-to-back possessions netted Oklahoma City's sharpshooter a pair of clean looks. Once in the mid-range - miss - and once from beyond the arc - make.

New perspective 👀 https://t.co/islOV1rmht pic.twitter.com/5pFOA7TcS7

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 28, 2024

Time will only solidify Hartenstein's sentiment but Wednesday night was a great first impression. These two should be married in lineups the rest of the season after a home run first date.

Stiles Points

• Jalen Williams left this game early with an eye injury suffered in the first half against the Golden State Warriors. Williams contested a Kuminga slam where the Santa Clara product took a blow to the face.
• Aaron Wiggins only logged 15 minutes off the bench tonight for the Thunder even in the midst of their offensive struggles. A head-scratching move that is status quo for his Thunder tenure to this point. Wiggins could've added a boost to a laboring Thunder-scoring punch without much if any defensive dropoff.
• Lu Dort pulled off one of the best blocks you will see on the Warriors final possesion. A scramble left Andrew Wiggins with a shot at the rim to tie the game but Dort hustles his way back into the play for an improbable game-saving swat.
• Cason Wallace put together one of his most well-rounded games of the season in what could spark his sophomore season.

Song of the Day: A-11 by Buck Owens.

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