Isaiah Hartenstein's Two-Way Impact Paying Dividends for OKC Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder knew it had areas for improvement when it signed 26-year-old center Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year, $87 million deal last July — the largest free-agent contract in franchise history. Last season, the Thunder started Chet Holmgren at center for all 92 regular-season and playoff games. There were noticeable trade-offs, as the rookie provided excellent floor spacing and rim protection but struggled with defensive rebounding and overall physicality.

Hartenstein, who turned 27 on Monday, has helped shore up those weaknesses while adding strengths the Thunder lacked previously.

On offense, his screening gives plenty of space to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, who are comfortable creating their own offense. It also flows into possible short-roll playmaking, where he has found cutters, open shooters and shown exceptional floater touch anywhere from eight to 12 feet out.

Hartenstein averaged a career-high 11.2 points on 60.5% 2-point shooting and 3.8 assists per game in the regular season. Through six playoff games, he has recorded 10.3 points on 63.6% 2-point shooting and 3.5 assists per game — while averaging fewer minutes due to multiple Thunder blowout wins.

Gilgeous-Alexander tallied off numerous ways Hartenstein benefits Oklahoma City after it destroyed the Denver Nuggets 149-106 in Game 2 of the second round on Wednesday night.

"His passing ability, his rebounding, his playmaking, his communication, his camaraderie, his leadership," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Isaiah is, at the end of the day, a really good basketball player. Whatever situation you throw him in, he's going to flourish because of that. He does the right things, he has the right intentions."

The Nuggets won on an Aaron Gordon 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left in Game 1, but they made a double-digit comeback through MVP finalist Nikola Jokic's individual brilliance and by dominating the offensive glass (21). Two nights later, Hartenstein and the Thunder stymied Jokic into 17 points on 16 shots and allowed 13 Denver offensive rebounds. These are imperative areas for Oklahoma City to focus on for the rest of the series, as it maintains significant turnover, spacing and depth advantages.

In 11 minutes, 31 seconds against Hartenstein's head-to-head defense, Jokic has registered 19 points on 7-for-15 shooting, four assists and two turnovers. The Nuggets have scored 58 points in those 56.8 partial possessions, which has been less efficient than when Holmgren has dealt with Jokic thus far.

"It's no coincidence we made the jump from last year adding (Hartenstein) and (Alex) Caruso," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Those guys are big-time playmakers on both ends of the floor and in the locker room."

The Thunder play Game 3 in Denver against the Nuggets tonight at 9 p.m. CST.