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Isaiah Hartenstein is on pace to make franchise history for the Thunder in 2024-25
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated20 hours ago on January 28, 2025
Despite injuries to their front court in 2024-25, the Oklahoma City Thunder are rolling. At 37-8, the team has the best record in the Western Conference. The Thunder are 7-3 in their last 10 games.
This season, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein have missed extended time. Hartenstein missed the first 15 games of the season due to injury and made his Thunder debut on 11/20. The 26-year-old has been playing at a high level for OKC and he’s on pace to make franchise history. He would be the first player to average 10+ points, 10+ rebounds, and at least one block per game for the Thunder.
The Thunder are 23-2 when Isaiah Hartenstein plays
The value of Isaiah Hartenstein cannot be underestimated pic.twitter.com/6FP76Lf35p
— NikNBA☘️ (@__Kingnik) January 27, 2025
Ahead of the 2024-25 season, the Thunder signed Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year, $87 million deal. Last season, Chet Holmgren was the primary center for all 82 games. Holmgren started the first 10 games of the 2024-25 season but has been out for the last 35 games with a hip injury. Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren have not played in a game yet together this season. We’ll see if they are both in the starting lineup once Holmgren is healthy.
In his first season with the Thunder, Hartenstein has played in 25 games and has made 24 starts. He is averaging a career-high (11.8) points, (12.2) rebounds, and (4.2) assists per game. Hartenstein is thriving in his first season with Oklahoma City and they’ve needed his production. Despite missing 20 games this season, Holmgren has been a difference-maker for the Thunder. He is averaging (9.2) defensive rebounds per game.
Additionally, his (12.2) rebounds per game are on pace to be the most in franchise history. Isaiah Hartenstein has been another great addition to the roster by general manager Sam Presti. While Holmgren is out, Hartenstein will continue to be the team’s starting center. However, head coach Mark Daigneault will have a tough decision to make a some point this season. Does he start Hartenstein and Holmgren or move one of them to a bench role? Both players have been extremely productive when they are on the court for the Thunder.
