Oklahoma City Thunder center, Isaiah Hartenstein, recently suffered a fracture in his left hand. This is also his shooting hand. The former New York Knicks big man will be re-evaluated in the next five to six weeks. Hartenstein was one of the Thunder’s key additions in the offseason this past summer. He was due to have a huge role for the Thunder this year whether he was starting or coming off the bench. It should also be noted that backup big, Jaylin Williams, is currently dealing with an injury. However, the one staple of this current Thunder squad is their depth. This aspect will be tested to start the new season with Hartenstein and Williams being sidelined.
Isaiah Hartenstein Out For At Least Next Five to Six Weeks
Isaiah Hartenstein’s Impact
Hartenstein has developed into one of the best role players in the entire league. For his career, he has logged 6.0 points, 5.6 total rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game. However, the last couple of seasons is when Hartenstein has started to make a name for himself. It is also important to remember many of his hustle plays that shift the momentum are ones that do not always show up in the box score.
With the Knicks, he became a terrific utility player. He especially showcased his value in last year’s playoffs with hustle play after hustle play. The Thunder are hoping he can bring this same type of production this season and be a solid example to a very young core of players with promising potential. Unfortunately, we will not see what kind of true impact he will have until a bit later into the season after his most recent injury.
What Implications Could This Have for the Oklahoma City Thunder?
If there is any team that can overcome a couple of key injuries in this league, it is the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have been drafting wisely for years. Now, this patience is starting to pay dividends. The Thunder have one of the deepest teams in the Association and have an extremely bright future. While Hartenstein’s absence will could hurt them here and there to start the year, the team will still finish as a top-four seed in the Western Conference barring major injuries this season. All in all, the Oklahoma City Thunder will be just fine, and Isaiah Hartenstein should come back serving as a quality role player. It will just be later down the line after being re-evaluated.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
