The OKC Thunder may be a top-two seed in the Western Conference standings and boast the fourth-best record in the association at 12-4, but they have been far from flawless throughout these first few weeks of the 2024-25 season.
Fortunately for them, however, it appears one of their biggest weaknesses during this span has finally found an answer.
Wednesday night, big-time offseason acquisition Isaiah Hartenstein officially made his regular season debut with Oklahoma City after a month-long shelving due to a small, non-displaced fracture in his left hand.
Though he admitted to having felt a bit off with his offensive game, stating in his post-game presser that it'll take time for him to get adjusted to once again being able to use his left hand, as far as the other aspects of his skill set were concerned, it seemed as if the veteran hadn't missed a beat.
From his defensive efforts to his rock-solid screens, Hartenstein performed exceptionally well during his first regular season game as a member of the Thunder.
And while his end-game stat line indicates he was an all-around impact player on the night, his efforts on the offensive glass are what should be catching the attention of fans and pundits alike, as it seems he alone may have fixed perhaps the biggest issue that OKC has been facing all season long.
Isaiah Hartenstein's arrival fixes major in-game flaw for OKC Thunder
Heading into the night, the Thunder ranked a lowly 24 in offensive rebounds per game (9.4) and were a middling 17 in second-chance points per game (13.7). Last season, these also proved to be areas where Oklahoma City severely struggled, as they ranked a putrid 29 in offensive rebounds (8.8) and 27 in second-chance points per game (11.8).
In response to such lowly production, Sam Presti and company made addressing their frontcourt and, specifically, bolstering their big man arsenal a priority this offseason, hence why they shelled out a whopping $87 million to sign the likes of Isaiah Hartenstein, who was just off a career season with the Knicks where he averaged 8.7 points and 9.4 rebounds (3.4 offensive) in 49 starts.
Fast forward to Wednesday and by the time the final buzzer sounded in their bout against the Portland Trail Blazers, not only did the Thunder manage to pull out a 109-99 win, but they also saw themselves pull down a whopping 46 rebounds and, more importantly, 15 offensive rebounds.
It should come as no surprise Hartenstein, specifically, had a major impact on this aspect of the game, as 5 of his 14 total rebounds were offensive.
Not once during their first 15 games played prior did OKC grab as many second-chance boards as they did against the Blazers. In fact, one would have to go all the way back to January of last season to find the last time they were able to register as many offensive rebounds.
In just one game and while coming off the bench, I-Hart showed off one of the many key attributes he's capable of providing this Thunder squad with. In this case, it was him serving as a prominent presence on the offensive glass which has arguably been their main weakness over the last couple of seasons.
As he continues to build on-court chemistry with his new teammates and shakes off the rust from his multi-week dormancy, fans should only expect these second chances opportunities and points to increase.