The Oklahoma City Thunder are taking a bite out of it. Although their playoff loss to the Dallas Mavericks was
disheartening, they have taken many steps to ensure that it won’t happen again. They acquired Alex Caruso from the
Chicago Bulls to begin the summer. In addition, Oklahoma City added players via the draft and re-signed Aaron Wiggins and
Isaiah Joe. Nevertheless, the Thunder’s signing of big man Isaiah Hartenstein away from the New York Knicks during 2024
NBA free agency was their best decision.
In their playoff loss to the Mavericks, the Thunder were most exploited on the glass portion of the floor. During the regular
season, Oklahoma City was never a particularly good rebounding club to begin with. With a 48.4% rebound percentage, they
came in 28th place in the league. In that regard, the only teams worse were the 15-67 Washington Wizards and the 21-61
Charlotte Hornets.
In that postseason loss, the Thunder performed even worse. They saw a further decline in their rebound percentage, to
47.4%. They struggled mightily to keep players like Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II off the glass, which allowed the
Mavericks to take advantage of numerous second chances.
With Isaiah Hartenstein along, teams will find it more difficult to intimidate the Thunder on the boards. Among players who
played at least 15 games and 15 minutes a game, Hartenstein had the 37th-best defensive rebounding % in the league.
Among the same players, he also had the fifth-best offensive rebounding %.
Additionally, his defensive rebounding percentage can be a little deceptive. Josh Hart, a colleague of Hartenstein’s who
played for the Knicks, was able to grab the ball and start the fast break because Hartenstein did a fantastic job boxing out his
opponent. Cleaning the Glass reports that during Hartenstein’s time on the court last season, New York opponents grabbed
24.6% of his misses. That was in the lineup’s 85th percentile. within the NBA
A playmaking hub for the Thunder
within the NBA
Hartenstein will benefit the Thunder much not only in terms of rebounds but also in terms of offensive variety. Shai
Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, the two offensive talents for Oklahoma City, were often seen playing alone or in
pick-and-roll situations. Even though those individuals are excellent at it, it can’t hurt to pass the ball to them in other
locations or ways.
Hartenstein will give the Thunder the opportunity to move those men with the ball. He is a great short roller and passer
from the top of the key. In order to create space for his teammates, he is a great screener on dribble handoffs and has the
handling ability to flow into those scenarios.
During cuts past season, Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, and Chet Holmgren scored 1.52, 1.40, and 1.50 points per
possession, respectively. On these plays, Gilgeous-Alexander was in the 88th percentile for the entire league. But cuts
accounted for a mere 2 percent of the plays he completed in his arsenal. With him off the ball, the Thunder have a ton of
meat on the bone to pick at.
Hartenstein will support them in emphasizing that in their offensive. He will have a significant effect on the Thunder at both
ends of the court. The icing on the cake was that Oklahoma City acquired them without having to make any sacrifices.
Following their relocation to Hartenstein in 2016, the Thunder are ready to contend for a championship this year.
Be the first to comment