Against Philadelphia on Tuesday night, Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein suffered a minor leg injury, straining his left soleus, per an Oklahoma City press statement.
The Thunder reveal that the 7-footer will be reassessed in a week.
With Chet Holmgren out for much of the 2024/25 season due to a hip fracture, Hartenstein has been serving as the 33-6 Thunder’s starting center. He’s averaging a career-best 11.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.3 blocks, along with 0.9 steals a night, across his 24 healthy bouts.
In that 118-102 Thunder blowout on Tuesday, Hartenstein scored nine points on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor and 1-of-2 shooting from the foul line He also pulled down an impressive 16 boards, dished out three dimes, blocked one shot and swiped a steal.
Hartenstein was poached in free agency following an impressive showing with New York in 2023/24. The Thunder inked him to a lucrative three-year, $87M deal, bolstering their frontcourt with a key veteran presence. Now, Oklahoma City has emerged as perhaps the class of the Western Conference, led by perennial MVP contender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and rising star forward Jalen Williams.
A steady two-way presence in the interior, the 26-year-old Hartenstein has been a critical component to the club’s early success.
With Hartenstein and Holmgren both out for at least the next week, the 6’5″ Williams will need to step up defensively inside. He will likely jump at center for the Thunder.
Should have drafted Yves Missi
The Thunder will be fine, they’ll move Jalen Williams back to center.