Due to nagging injuries to both players throughout the regular season, the OKC Thunder were severely limited in their ability to experiment with the double-big lineup of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.
In total, the pair saw just 679 possessions running alongside one another.
Despite this very small sample size, however, the promise the duo showcased proved to be rather exciting, as Oklahoma City held opponents to a mere 109.9 points per 100 possessions and saw a point differential of +13.5 with both Chet and I-Hart on the floor, marks that ranked in the 86 and 98 percentile, respetively.
Coming into the playoffs, the hope for many was that coach Mark Daigneault would opt to give these types of twin tower sets more run on the hardwood so that the tandem could further build chemistry together, while Oklahoma City could boast more size within their lineups, something they sorely lacked during their ill-fated run last year.
Now, after one playoff series, it is more than apparent that the Thunder are willing to continue utilizing such a lineup configuration, and, based on the club's clean four-game sweep over the Memphis Grizzlies, it has proven to be a major part of their game plan, as the duo served as a staple in each game's starting unit.
In Hartenstein's opinion, their impact on the game has only improved during the high-stakes 2025 postseason, and, during Wednesday's practice media sessions, he specifically highlighted one key area of play that they have officially ironed out the wrinkles in.
Thunder tandem has figured out how to effectively rotate on defense
To much delight, their effect on the game was quite similar to how it was throughout the regular season, as they held Memphis to just 100.0 points per 100 possessions (ranks in the 99 percentile) and saw a point differential of +10.2.
However, to Hartenstein, one particular aspect of the double-big lineup that has improved during the playoffs is their ability to properly rotate on defense, especially when closer to the rim.
"Now with me and Chet, I think we've got it more figured out [on defense]. When one person goes, the other person has to rotate. I think at the beginning it was a little harder because we both went to the rim and gave up some threes every now and then, but I think now we've figured out when to go, when not to," Hartenstein said.
Based on the numbers, Hartenstein and Holmgren were not just effective when contesting shots against the Grizzlies -- they were downright elite!
With both on the floor together, the Thunder held Memphis to a putrid effective field goal percentage of 47.1 percent. Individually, Holmgren had his assignments shooting just 39.5 percent from the floor, while Hartenstein saw his matchups shooting 42.2 percent.
Already, both bigs ranked near the top of the league in defensive rating as individuals and showed flashes of complementing one another on this end of the floor throughout the regular season.
Although the sample size came in just a four-game span, during this year's playoff run, it seems this menacing tandem of Hartenstein and Holmgren may have gotten even better on the less glamorous side of the ball.
Considering the Thunder are already the best defense in the association, this should make the idea of going up against this ball club even more terrifying for whatever team winds up facing them during the rounds to come.