Making his name as a defensive stalwart in recent years, Isaiah Hartenstein was pursued by teams in July’s free agency, particularly because of what he can bring on that side of the ball. From unwavering rim protection to impressive perimeter skills, “I-Hart” is the archetypal player teams search for in a defensive anchor.
The Oklahoma City Thunder inked the 26-year-old to a nearly $90 million contract over the summer and instantly were thrust in the same room as the Boston Celtics as legitimate title contenders.
But for Hartenstein to deliver an impact reminiscent of a superstar offseason signing, he’ll need to bring similar intensity on offense, where he grew tremendously a season ago for the New York Knicks. But, without a reliable jumpshot, can No. 55 truly be what the Thunder need him to be?
Thunder defensive ace dishes on Hart’s offense
Isaiah was under the spotlight last season for the Knicks, and he often delivered. Making waves in tandem with superstar point guard Jalen Brunson, the former second-round pick showcased an innate ability to score points off the screen-and-roll and expertly slip by the defense for easy short-range baskets.
Isaiah Hartenstein leads the NBA in D-EPM (+4.6) and is 29th overall in EPM (+3.5). He's been tremendous this year. pic.twitter.com/0GqHuZVa2m
— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) January 9, 2024
Seeing all this unfold, the Thunder are convinced they have the perfect pairing with their superstar point guard in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Known for his masterful execution of the oldest play in the book, having someone in addition to rising star center Chet Holmgren can elevate SGA’s offensive game. When he was often limited to either choosing to take the pull-up midrange shot or lob the ball toward the rim, Shai, with Hartenstein next season as an additional weapon, will carve out more opportunities to trick defenses.
Recently, rising Thunder star Cason Wallace put this into perspective. The former lottery pick will inevitably get some open looks at the basket off a look generated by Hartenstein — but that’s just the bare minimum when describing Hart’s skill set.
“He’s a crazy screener. Screen, roll, he’s got great touch in the paint [and] can knock down threes. He does pretty much everything,” Wallace said.
“He’s a great screen and he got great touch. If they switch [and] we hit him in the pocket, he can still make a play,” he said, before adding, “I mean, yeah, if it’s open [he’ll shoot 3-pointers]. He’s a ballplayer. He makes the right plays, so taking open shots is a part of that.”
Whether off the bench or in the starting lineup, Isaiah can expect his role to remain consistent. Thanks to how well he operates off the ball and the amount of quality offense he can generate off passes and screens, the Thunder can mix and match him in plenty of lineups, and he’ll see a plethora of offensive concepts that feature him.
At 26 years old, Hart is still an ascending player who now finds himself on a quickly ascending team. A move to the Thunder may have come at the perfect time. But to help this pairing discover its true potential, the big man will need to come prepared to start the regular season.
Related: SGA credits Caruso and Hartenstein’s ‘super cool’ nature