The ever-rising Oklahoma City Thunder had two key acquisitions in the offseason: big man Isaiah Hartenstein and defensive ace Alex Caruso.

Caruso (5.0 PPG, 1.8 SPG, 35.2 FG%) is struggling mightily on offense, but he’s become serviceable as he’s doing his thing on defense as expected. 

Overall, though, there’s no denying that Hartenstein is making more noise, proving that he’s worthy of that three-year, $87 million deal. Not only is he piling solid numbers, but he’s also filling the void left by OKC’s heralded third-year stretch forward/center, Chet Holmgren, who may be out until mid-January. Note that Hartenstein himself also got sidelined, and just recovered from a fractured left hand that caused him to miss the first 15 games of the season.

In five outings thus far, the 26-year-old veteran is averaging 15.2 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game on 57.1% shooting. The Thunder have reached and maintained the first seed in the Western Conference in that span, with the slimmest of leads over the Houston Rockets.

Here’s the big man’s game log on the young season:

•  November 21 vs. POR – 13 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, four blocks
• November 26 vs. SAC – 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists
• November 28 vs. GSW – 14 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, two blocks
• November 30 vs. LAL – 11 points, 18 rebounds, five assists
• December 2 vs. HOU – 19, 13 rebounds, four assists

As many may remember, there were concerns on Hartenstein’s decision to leave the New York Knicks for Oklahoma City, given how he much fits head coach Tom Thibodeau’s style, the way New York has embraced him, and all the momentum they had built in the 2023-24 season, which was arguably just halted by unfortunate injuries in the postseason.

That said, aside from the enormous amount of money, OKC is also one of the teams that badly needs the services of his caliber. He’s a hustle-filled, rim-running center that can help out Holmgren, all while receiving a healthy amount of drop-offs and other open looks in the interior due to the attention that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams are getting. 

While we can’t expect such averages to be maintained, we should continue seeing Hartenstein play a considerable role in the Thunder’s quest to establish itself as a true force in the West. The defense will be there as its key in the offense-happy game, and his subtle putbacks, hooks, and simple baskets in the paint will always be valuable on games that SGA, Williams, and other guys are having off-nights. Since he and Holmgren are yet to share the floor, their towering tandem will be anticipated too, and may be a headache for opponents.