Isaiah Hartenstein Can Help Take The Thunder To A New Level

Key Highlights

• In the course of the second spherical of the playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder held a plus-5.3 web score with Chet Holmgren on the ground and a minus-15.0 web score when he was on the bench
• The Thunder completed twenty seventh in offensive rebounding price final season, whereas Isaiah Hartenstein ranked within the 92nd percentile individually
• Hartenstein was within the seventieth percentile in help price amongst large males, per Cleansing the Glass

Other than their top-three offense torpedoing right into a crunched-up slog, the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder’s playoff demise was headlined by an incapacity to remain float every time Chet Holmgren sat. Throughout their second-round, six-game defeat, they outscored the Dallas Mavericks by 21 factors throughout Holmgren’s 216 minutes and have been outscored by 21 factors in 72 minutes with out him (-20.3 web score swing, per NBA.com).

So, as soon as free company commenced earlier this month, they sought to handle that deficiency at backup 5 by touchdown Isaiah Hartenstein on a three-year, $87 million deal (staff choice for the third yr). But Hartenstein’s hefty price ticket and 2023-24 emergence — following many seasons of intriguing play in a smaller position — proved he’s far too good for merely that designation.

Occupying a beginning gig for many of final season whereas sitting central to the New York Knicks’ success, his protection, playmaking, screening and rebounding established him among the many league’s higher facilities. In fact, he isn’t superior to Holmgren, an ascending 22-year-old who seems imminently primed for stardom. But when afforded sufficient rope, the 26-year-old may help tremendously treatment a few of Oklahoma Metropolis’s different shortcomings, together with rebounding, screening and three-point quantity.

His arrival ensures the Thunder experience 48 minutes of high-level middle play. Not often will one in every of Holmgren or Hartenstein not be on the ground. His arrival must also assure a spot within the beginning 5.

Both Luguentz Dort or Alex Caruso would come off the bench. Though Caruso is the higher participant, his damage historical past and Dort’s reference to the franchise will probably earn him the nod at taking pictures guard. The playoffs are the precedence, so preserving Caruso upright have to be the target. There shall be matchups the place downsizing is most well-liked, however the baseline quintet ideally options Holmgren and Hartenstein collectively. It’s the simplest path to fixing weak hyperlinks that cropped up for the Thunder in sure common season video games and versus Dallas.

One of many elements defining Oklahoma Metropolis’s second-round foibles was its poor on-ball passing. It is a excellent connective passing staff, however with Dallas loading the strong-side and zoning up correctly on the weak-side, it couldn’t flip the ground to use that tactic. Drive-and-kick is about spinning the protection into rotation and the Thunder failed to attain that, partly due to their passing limitations.

Neither Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nor Jalen Williams had the gusto to weave passes round all the scale the Mavericks threw their path. Holmgren, for all his two-way exploits, shouldn’t be a sturdy inside-the-arc operator who capabilities as a playmaking hub. Hartenstein does.

In response to Cleansing the Glass, he positioned within the seventieth percentile in help price amongst bigs final season (12.7 p.c) and his 7-foot-1 stature is a real software. It permits him to see excessive and execute reads that the Thunder’s perimeter initiators typically uncared for in spherical two. They’ve missed this form of path to pivot towards offensively. Hartenstein will current it.

Taking part in by means of him would require a shift away from Oklahoma Metropolis’s drive-and-kick, five-out method. Even when the five-out ethos is sustained, there can be an adjustment to present a non-spacing risk substantial duties. The idea of its assault final season was emphasizing touches for dribble-pass-shoot dudes and surrounding them with succesful drive-and-shoot cogs (Josh Giddey apart, therefore his playoff benching and subsequent departure).

Hartenstein is a savvy facilitator with extra off-the-dribble juice than assumed, but he’s not an outdoor shooter or a driving large like Holmgren. Slotting him at middle would transfer Holmgren to the 4 and rearrange his offensive utilization and placement. Lengthy-term, the objective is presumably to maintain Holmgren at middle, however letting him develop his mismatch scoring towards 4s reasonably than 5s — given his power deficit — might work within the interim, too.

Spotlighting a 7-footer with playmaking verve might assist improve the Thunder’s lengthy vary quantity. Regardless of being third in three-point share, they have been simply twenty first in three-point price. There was cumbersome hesitancy with their shooters. A lot of them have been wired to drive off the catch reasonably than firing — particularly, Williams and Aaron Wiggins — that Dallas acknowledged and focused. The chances portrayed them as an elite taking pictures group, whereas the movie steered in any other case.

A tweak in mindset is critical. Hartenstein’s passing capacity and luxury flipping the courtroom at his measurement ought to be boons, however they aren’t wholesale options. The shooters must embrace bombing away extra commonly; their numbers are too good for in any other case.

His distributing nonetheless supplies a unique, welcomed wrinkle. Final yr’s five-out alignment masked playmaking deficiencies. Hartenstein isn’t only a tall man with a little bit of deft contact. He’s a legit passer in numerous kinds. Oklahoma Metropolis sports activities shrewd cutters. Faucet into that extra. Encourage them to chop and obtain feeds from Hartenstein reasonably than solely to spark threes or snare passes from slashing ball-handlers.

It additionally dabbled with dunker spot utilization within the playoffs. Hartenstein is a superb dump-off passer. Taking part in him on the 5 and Holmgren as a 4 periodically lurking within the quick corners may diversify the offense. Maybe, his addition doesn’t alter the three-point quantity as a lot because it creates extra possibilities across the basket (sixteenth in rim frequency throughout the common season, thirteenth within the playoffs). Both incidence sounds profitable.

Hartenstein isn’t a Nikola Jokic-level orchestrator. Gilgeous-Alexander is among the many NBA’s chief engines. He, together with Williams, will dominate the motion. There’s going to loads of time Hartenstein operates off the ball. It’s one other adjustment that (rightfully) granting him important minutes will immediate: crafting clean offense with a non-shooting middle taking part in heavy minutes. Even when he will get again to experimenting a bit as a stretch large, truly garnering defensive consideration takes time and outcomes (he’s 27-of-87, 31 p.c in six seasons).

However the lack of taking pictures doesn’t render him an off-ball legal responsibility. Routinely discovering house out and in of the paint, he’s an alert mover. Whether or not it’s producing open pictures for himself or others, there are penalties of ignoring him or extending him room/angles to make use of. The Knicks sometimes slotted him within the reverse nook, which baited defenses into sagging off earlier than the offense flung the ball his approach and initiated dribble handoffs. I particularly like this for Oklahoma Metropolis if Isaiah Joe is the recipient.

On and off the ball, there are a viable assortment of abilities he affords that make it troublesome to punish his minimal scoring arsenal by guarding him 4-on-5. He’ll display, he’ll transfer, he’ll drive, he’ll move. All of it could ease the assimilation for each himself and the Thunder, and be elements of the offense every time he’s not the focus.

Readily obvious throughout the second spherical was Oklahoma Metropolis’s want for a superb screen-setter. It’s not one in every of Holmgren’s standout attributes. That left the creation burden squarely on Gilgeous-Alexander’s shoulders towards a rangy, linked protection and congested paint. Williams was not ready to successfully pilot offense in that collection both. Hartenstein ought to simplify life for everybody along with his burly, perceptive screening, cognizant of when to implement contact and when to slide.

In response to NBA.com, he was 14th in display assists per recreation throughout the common season (3.5) and third throughout the playoffs (5.1). He’s a hulking impediment who holds agency or audibles the angle based mostly on no matter’s wanted most. He’ll spring free off-ball shooters and ignite alternatives in pick-and-rolls.

It’s one other trait of his that would enhance the Thunder’s three-point numbers if he’s producing separation for his or her bevy of shooters with pindowns, flares and on-ball screens. Possibly, his off-ball picks are a decoy at occasions, opening drives for Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams to grease the offense. An elite screener surrounded by a dynamite offensive expertise, a slippery secondary handler, and bountiful taking pictures is a devious weapon.

Whereas some screeners of Hartenstein’s caliber are quick on a lot offensive utility — which hamstrings their minutes and utilization — Hartenstein isn’t. His involvement doesn’t must pause after the display. His playmaking is at all times there towards traps or overloaded defenses. He’s a launch valve scorer along with his floater. In response to Cleansing the Glass, he ranked within the 89th percentile from quick midrange final season, changing 54 p.c of his appears; over the 2 prior years, he hit 52 p.c of them.

It’s a pesky little shot, each out of ball screens or relocating from the dunker spot throughout paint touches. Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams (to a lesser extent) are methodical handlers who personal a penchant for the midrange. Their latest middle enhances that fashion.

If utilized keenly, he can lead the cost in blotting out a lot of Oklahoma Metropolis’s weaknesses. His offensive rebounding is doubtlessly his foremost talent. He’s completed within the 89th percentile or higher the previous two seasons, whereas the Thunder have been twenty seventh amongst 30 groups in 2023-24.

Their aversion to second possibilities is a byproduct of sprawling transition protection (third in lowest opposing frequency final yr). However Hartenstein touts an actual knack for the ball and will lug them up from the pits with out ushering in systemic change.

That acumen might deter groups from switching or stashing smaller defenders on Hartenstein in an goal to allocate their measurement elsewhere. The Mavericks pinned lesser defenders on Holmgren within the second spherical as a result of he couldn’t punish them. Hartenstein isn’t an adept scorer, however he’s a dominant offensive rebounder. That will solely be amplified dealing with mismatches. His one-man clean-up crew will behoove a downhill-determined staff that led the league in drives per recreation by a wide margin final season (452 greater than second place).

He’s dependable patrolling the opposite facet of the glass too, putting among the many 61st percentile or higher in defensive rebounding price the final two seasons. Oklahoma Metropolis was twenty ninth total in 2023-24. Hartenstein will buoy that rank, together with your entire protection.

He and Holmgren have been two of the league’s simpler rim protectors final season. In response to NBA.com, opposing gamers shot 11.4 p.c beneath their common on subject objectives inside 6 ft when Holmgren was the closest defender. When it was Hartenstein, they shot 11.2 p.c worse. These marks ranked sixth and seventh amongst 157 gamers who contested at the least 4 such pictures per recreation. One or each of them goes to be on the ground nearly on a regular basis subsequent yr!

Holmgren has cemented himself as a premier 1-on-2 defender in drop protection, able to dancing between ball-handler and curler. Hartenstein is an excellent ball-screen defender as nicely, most harmful taking part in close to the extent or in excessive drop. He’s gentle on his ft, a looming inside deterrent and wields extraordinarily dexterous fingers.

The choice to tab both as the first large defender whereas the opposite stays low ought to promote versatility and aggression. Oklahoma Metropolis already led the league in opposing turnover price final yr and may actually distance itself after bringing in Hartenstein and Caruso. Hartenstein completed within the ninetieth percentile in steal price and 74th percentile in block price. He’s snug on the perimeter and in house off the ball, and excels as a defensive anchor.

Holmgren seeing prolonged minutes on the 4 will necessitate a studying curve. There are completely different defensive duties. The burgeoning abilities league-wide amongst 4s might power him into extra on-ball perimeter duties than conventional large man duties. But the attraction and prospects alongside Hartenstein appear so intriguing.

Final yr, there was no option to deviate and play large for lengthy spurts. Now, they’ll. It ought to develop into much less of another and extra of the norm. Their expertise, malleability and ceiling have elevated. They may rebound and shield the rim higher, whereas nonetheless turning groups over at an absurd price. They renovated snazzy components of the boat and plugged a leak.

The perimeter group of Caruso, Dort, Williams, Wiggins, Joe, Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace is stout sufficient to insulate whichever large is low. Pre-switch most actions. Stash the supersized 4 on the creakiest offensive participant. Allow a roamer. Particular opponents is not going to have a obtrusive gap (a la the reigning champion Boston Celtics), however that measurement and defensive affect continues to be irritating. Hartenstein’s rebounding and low man prowess may imply he’s finest fitted to the job. Preserving Holmgren in ball-screens defensively isn’t a difficulty anyway.

Final season, the Thunder’s abundance of perimeter abilities got here on the expense of measurement. Often, that’s related to defensive concessions. For them, although, these concessions primarily manifested offensively. Hartenstein maintains the theme of ball abilities, whereas instilling essential, newfound components along with his body.

Having fun with the advantages of his signing is easy. He’ll again up Holmgren and play 15-18 superior minutes nightly. Maximizing his signing calls for extra — much less of any grand overhaul and extra a few versatile id.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams ceding a little bit of management on the ball. Extra time for Hartenstein to facilitate the offense. Extra rolling reasonably than popping in ball-screens. Extra horizontal motion, dribble handoffs and off-ball screens. Holmgren navigating life as a 4. Credible shooters excising timidity from their line of considering.

This roster is as much as the duty. A few of the basis exists from Jaylin Williams‘ offensive utilization final season. The Thunder will probably be large regardless of how Hartenstein is carried out. He and they’re adequate. However they are often way more than their 2023-24 selves if everybody aces this pairing. That’s the place the true problem resides, and what’s most vital transferring ahead.