Thunder Guard Gets Real About Isaiah Hartenstein Injury

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins provided comfort to fans after Isaiah Hartenstein's injury.

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

Bad news struck Oklahoma City on Thursday as the Thunder announced that center Isaiah Hartenstein will miss five to six weeks with an injury. During the club's preseason contest against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, Hartenstein suffered a small, non-displaced fracture in his left hand.

The team signed Hartenstein this past offseason, and his long-awaited regular season debut is now going to have to be pushed back. Preseason injuries are unfortunate, and he missed the last exhibition contest before the season begins.

Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins relieved some stress for Oklahoma City fans, offering some encouraging words amid the chaos.

“We got a great group of guys with Hartenstein and without. Obviously the anticipation of playing with him was high, but good things come to those who wait," Wiggins stated.

Fans of the club will have to wait to see the new-look squad come together and play at full strength. Fortunately for Oklahoma City, the team has some of the most depth across the NBA. The addition of Alex Caruso is anticipated enough, and his addition will make for an intruiging start to the season.

The return of Jaylin Williams, which could be near the beginning of the regular season, just got that much more important. The team has depth but could use more size as they open their season with a battle against Nikola Jokic.

On Thursday night, Jalen Williams suffered an ankle sprain himself, giving Thunder fans another reason to shun preseason.

Oklahoma City has sky-high potential on the new season, and injuries are truthfully the only thing that could slow them down in a big way. However, regular season results only matter if they're unable to make the postseason. If they're not struggling in that department, rolling into the postseason fully healthy is the most important thing for the Thunder.

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