Why Isaiah Hartenstein Must Continue Outside Shooting Experiment

Oklahoma City’s newest big man has been a perfect fit in nearly every way possible. He has been exactly what the Thunder needed since Chet Holmgren went down with a hip injury over eight weeks ago. Without Isaiah Hartenstein in the mix, it’s hard to guess what the Thunder would look like today.

He has been a walking double-double, averaging 12.2 points and 12.1 rebounds on 56.7% from the floor. His passing ability has always been an underrated aspect of his game, but even more so this season considering the team he’s on and the style they play. He’s averaging 4.2 assists, compared to just 1.9 turnovers. Hartenstein is a playmaker on the offensive end, and has been a perfect addition.

The only piece that hasn’t clicked for Hartenstein is his outside shooting — and like he has preached, some of that can be attributed to his hand injury that kept him out for the first few weeks of the season. Oklahoma City didn’t bring him in to be a sharpshooter from deep, but they understood that was a part of his game that had untapped potential.

After Wednesday night’s game against Cleveland, Hartenstein is now 0-for-10 from 3-point range on the season. It’s a rarity when he takes one, and it’s not every game, but he hasn’t been able to connect yet. Every time he’s taken a triple, though, it has been the right shot. It has to be a clean catch with his feet set, and not too early in the shot clock. His process and mindset has been right on each attempt, and the shot looks fluid, it just hasn’t connected yet.

If Hartenstein isn’t able to stretch the floor this season, it’s not a death wish for the Thunder. It has always been an added luxury if he can knock down a three here or there. But just because he has missed his first ten triples of the year doesn’t mean he needs to stop shooting them. The regular season is the perfect time to experiment with different parts of your game and find a rhythm — and that’s exactly what Hartenstein is doing.

When Chet Holmgren returns, Oklahoma City will already have a 7-footer that can knock down threes at a near 40% clip. But when Holmgren and Hartenstein inevitably share the court together, it would make the Thunder nearly unguardable to have two shooting threats in the front court.

Hartenstein hasn’t gotten one to fall yet, but these are all shots he needs to keep taking. With more repetition, this is a shot he could add to his arsenal and help the Thunder down the road.