Isaiah Hartenstein Played His Role Perfectly in OKC Thunder’s Opening Series

Oklahoma City has been in this exact spot before — a dominant regular season and a quick first-round sweep. Nobody expected the Thunder to win a title a season ago, but that team had every chance to go far in the postseason. We all know how the story ended, a crushing loss to the Dallas Mavericks that sent the team back to the drawing board.

Obviously, there’s a handful of things that separate this year’s Thunder team from last year’s Thunder team. One of the biggest, both literally and figuratively, is Isaiah Hartenstein. He has changed the game for Oklahoma City from the moment he first stepped on the court and he hasn’t looked back. The Thunder’s weakness in the front court was exposed against Dallas a season ago, and they opted to fill it by dishing out a massive contract to Hartenstein. Frankly, he has been worth every penny.

Hartenstein was terrific in the regular season, helping the Thunder maintain a historical pace record-wise even with Chet Holmgren sidelined. He averaged a double-double for the first time in his career, and displayed elite passing skills from a big man.

His role in the postseason was always going to take some tinkering, but it seems to be so far, so good for Oklahoma City’s man in the middle. In the first round, he didn’t skip a beat from his regular season production, and he even upped his efficiency. He didn’t do anything flashy or experiment with any outside shots, he just did what he needed to do — what the Thunder needed him to do.

Hartenstein averaged 23 minutes across the four contests, chipping in 9.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He shot a red-hot  64% from the floor, too. His best performance came in the series opener, where he chipped in 14 points, eight rebounds, and five assists on 7-of-8 shooting.

His chemistry with Chet Holmgren continues to grow, as does his chemistry with the rest of the team. He is finding a unique connection on the floor with each individual player, and his smart IQ clearly helps everyone. Oklahoma City needs him to be exactly who he has been all season, and the first round was a great sign.