How 1 Key Recent OKC Thunder Injury Will Impact Upcoming Games

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Nathaniel Holloway | Last updated Jan 16, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the best teams in the NBA, but they received some disappointing injury news on Wednesday that will have a major impact on their roster moving forward.

According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Thunder’s starting center Isaiah Hartenstein will miss at least one week due to a left soleus strain which he suffered in Tuesday night’s victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

This is a major blow for the Thunder as they will now be without one of their key big men. Hartenstein missed the beginning of the season due to injury, but since returning he has been a major factor in Oklahoma City’s dominance.

This season, the 26-year-old is averaging 11.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 56.1% from the field.

Of course, the Thunder are already without their young star center Chet Holmgren who has been out since early November with a hip injury. While Holmgren has been out of the lineup, Hartenstein has stepped into his role and has been a key player in the Thunder’s success.

With the Thunder now being without their two centers, they may elect to move Jalen Williams back into the center role. They used Williams as their center earlier in the season while Holmgren and Hartenstein were out, which worked, but he is severely undersized for the position.

Hartenstein’s injury also comes ahead of the Thunder’s highly anticipated matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who currently hold the best record in the NBA. Of course, the two teams met last week, ending in a Cavaliers’ victory, mainly due to their size advantage.

It will be an even tougher matchup against Cleveland this time as Oklahoma City will be severely undersized against the Cavaliers' two-headed monster of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Because of this, Jaylin Williams should see an increase in playing time as he is the only other center on the team, but the Thunder will need the rest of their roster to step up big time for them to get the win on Wednesday night.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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