Since arriving in the Sooner State back in July, Isaiah Hartenstein has proven himself to be a true difference-maker for this OKC Thunder team.
Though initial reactions to his $87 million deal with the franchise were shrouded in screams of "overpay," through three months of action Oklahoma City sports the second-best record in the entire association at 28-5 and, with the veteran in the lineup, have gone a mesmerizing 17-1.
From his elite screen-setting and board-gobbling abilities to his top-flight dime-dropping skills, Hartenstein has quickly become a favorite among both fans and team personnel and has regularly received praise from his on-court cohorts.
However, as admitted by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earlier this season, the overall impact that I-Hart has on the game is something that wasn't fully understood before his arrival to the Thunder.
According to former Knicks teammate Josh Hart, this is the realization everyone seems to have when given the opportunity to play alongside the 26-year-old pivot.
Josh Hart speaks on impact Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein has on game
During the morning hours ahead of Friday's matchup between the Thunder and Knicks, New York Post beat writer Stefan Bondy shared Josh Hart's comments on the wonder that is his former teammate Isaiah Hartenstein, revealing that the only way to understand "the true ability or unselfishness" of the big you have to play with him.
"In LA with the Clippers, he was solid. But he got to New York and played a style and brand of basketball that Thibs loves. And then his personality – he was a great locker room guy for us. Unselfish. Didn’t care for the spotlight. Did all the dirty work things. And won us a playoff game. I think he had 10 offensive rebounds. And didn’t care about scoring. He was like, 'I’m going to dominate the glass,'" Hart said, as transcribed by Bondy.
This praise-filled sentiment is a bit far from the typical comments Hart has gone on record making since Hartenstein signed with the Thunder this summer, as he's regularly made jokes at the big man's expense. Even in this statement, in typical fashion, the wing had to cap things off by saying that even though he loves him, "Now that he’s not your teammate, he can go smoke one."
However, despite all the "talking," as Hartenstein put it, it's evident that the two still have a close and personal relationship with one another regardless of the fact that they are no longer a part of the same organization.
A star in his role, through 18 games played I-Hart has found himself producing at phenomenal, career-best rates and is posting impressive all-around averages of 12.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.3 blocks per night while shooting 57.5 percent from the floor.
Though his tenure with Oklahoma City still may be rather new, it's evident that the franchise has already come to the realization that Josh Hart informed Bondy about and they couldn't be happier with the results!