The Oklahoma City Thunder enter the 2024-25 NBA season as one of the favorites to win it all next year. Last season, they were led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Coach of the Year Mark Daigneault. Additionally, they have a fantastic, young roster overall. Finishing with a 57-25 record, the Thunder earned the No. 1 seed last season. Despite getting eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round, there is no doubt the Thunder are legitimate championship contenders. This became even more clear given the moves they made this offseason. Most notably, the Thunder acquired Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, two players who will make a major impact on the team. However, it seems that Oklahoma City will have to wait a little while longer to see their team fully in action.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Thunder announced that Hartenstein suffered a left hand injury in Tuesday’s preseason game against the Denver Nuggets. Furthermore, the Thunder will re-evaluate the 26-year-old in five to six weeks. With the regular season beginning in just one week, Hartenstein will likely be out of action for the first month of the campaign.
Thunder say Isaiah Hartenstein suffered a small, non-displaced fracture in his left hand in Tuesday’s preseason game in Denver and will be re-evaluated in five-to-six weeks.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 17, 2024
Isaiah Hartenstein to Miss Start of Regular Season
What Losing Isaiah Hartenstein Means for the Oklahoma City Thunder
Losing Hartenstein is a major blow to the Thunder. Paired next to Chet Holmgren, the duo makes one of the most intriguing big man tandems in the game. Additionally, Hartenstein is an incredible big man who can contribute on both sides of the floor. With him out of action, the Thunder lose a strong paint presence and rebounder. In Hartenstein’s place, the Thunder will rely more heavily on Holmgren. Though Holmgren was slated to start at power forward alongside Hartenstein, Oklahoma City will likely move him back to center for the time being.
Recently, Holmgren spoke about playing with Hartenstein. The 22-year-old said “it’s been fun so far” and talked about the dynamic he brings to the team.
“I think it’s been fun so far. It’ll continue to be. He is a really good player, he brings a different dynamic to this team than we’ve had in the past. It’s really fun to play with somebody with that style of play because it’s so different from what we’ve done…it allows us to do different things on the floor, especially myself personally…I am extremely excited, he is excited, we are both here to do whatever we are asked to do to try to win.”
The Last Word
Even without Hartenstein for at least a month, the Thunder remain a top team in the NBA. Per FanDuel, the Thunder (+650) have the second-best odds to win the championship next year. They only trail the reigning champion Boston Celtics (+310). Additionally, the Thunder are the favorite to represent the Western Conference in next year’s NBA Finals. Losing Hartenstein for any period of time is tough. However, the Thunder still possess one of the best rosters in the NBA.
