The Thunder opened up the preseason with a 112-107 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. There were a lot of bright spots for the Thunder during this game.
However, one of the biggest ones was how Isaiah Hartenstein played. He finished the night with four points, eight rebounds, and seven assists with a +20 in just 17 minutes of action. Even though it was just one preseason game, Hartenstein’s new role with the Thunder shows why Sam Presti gave him a three-year, $87 million deal.
When the Thunder signed Hartenstein for $29 million per year, many people thought they overpaid for him. Last season with the New York Knicks, he averaged 7.8 points per game, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. These are good numbers for a role player in the NBA, but not for $29 million annually, especially for a big who didn’t shoot from deep and could be coming off the bench. However, it seems like Hartenstein will have a new role with the Thunder that is similar and different to the role he had last season with the Knicks. Today, we will examine his new role and it being the reason why he got $29 million annually.
Isaiah Hartenstein’s New Role Shows Why The Thunder Gave Him $87 Million
Hartenstein’s Role With the Knicks
Hartenstein’s role once joining the Knicks was limited to being a good backup big for them. It wasn’t until he was thrust into the starting five due to injury that his role changed. He formed a nice connection with Jalen Brunson, and their pick-and-roll game was the driving force of the Knicks offense late into the season and in the playoffs. The Knicks also utilized his playmaking skills in the high-post, but not enough to showcase that skill. Finally, he was one of the better rim protectors in the NBA last season for the Knicks. Hartenstein helped the Knicks tremendously in the playoffs, especially when they were going through numerous injuries.
Hartenstein’s New Role with the Thunder
Hartenstein’s new role with the Thunder will be similar to the role he showcased with the Knicks last season. It could just be expanded. The number one reason the Thunder brought Hartenstein in was his size and rebounding. That was prevalent in the first preseason game, as he had eight rebounds in 17 minutes without playing in the second half. He would have easily gotten double-digit rebounds if he played the full game. This is something the Thunder desperately needed, as they were one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA.
In addition to his rebounding and rim protection on defense, is his expanded offensive game. The Thunder want him to take threes and have given him the green light. Shooting threes was something Hartenstein didn’t showcase at all with the Knicks. However, it doesn’t seem like he will be throwing up five threes a game, but around two to three a game at most. This is perfect and is a good number to add a little bit more dimension to Hartenstein’s game. Also, the Thunder want to utilize his post-up game, which is something he didn’t do as much with the Knicks last season. If he can become a decent shooter and add more of a post-up game to everything else he does on the offensive end, he will become a more versatile offensive player.
Utilizing his Passing Ability More
Another thing that Hartenstein showed in his preseason debut was his passing ability. He delivered seven assists, and the Thunder ran a lot of their offense with him in the high post. This was something he showed with the Knicks last year, but it wasn’t utilized enough, as he only averaged 2.5 assists per game and 3.5 in the playoffs. With the Thunder losing Josh Giddey and his playmaking ability, Hartenstein might be the one to help fill that void. The Thunder want to utilize him in the high post and could start a lot of their offensive plays with that. Hartenstein can easily average a career-high in assists.
How Will his Screening Ability Help Others?
Finally, Hartenstein’s screening ability will help make offense easier for the Thunder. Last season, the Thunder didn’t have a traditional screening center and had to slip a majority of their screens. However with Hartenstein, they won’t have to do that anymore. He will be able to create space that players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams didn’t have last year. This won’t be as prevalent in the regular season but will be very important in the postseason. In the postseason, defenses play more aggressively, and the space teams have in the regular season decreases. This will help players like Jalen and Shai get to their spots a lot easier and have more space to get a shot up come playoff time.
The Last Word
Hartenstein was already a good rim protector and offensive player. However, adding these new wrinkles to his game and expanding on things he does well will allow him to be more versatile on the offensive end. This will make the $29 million annually look more respectable instead of it being seen as an overpay.
