On a day where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pushed his 20-point streak to 128-straight games, Chet Holmgren stuffed the stat-sheet with 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists, three steals, and a block, and Isaiah Joe bounced back in a major way following a mere two-point showing, it's Isaiah Hartenstein who has caught the attention of OKC Thunder pundits, players, and personnel alike.
Though his zero-point log-line in 20 minutes of action against the Timberwolves is far from the most glamorous, the big man put on full display the fact that his vital impact on the game is by no means flashy.
As head coach Mark Daigneault brilliantly put it during his post-game presser, Hartenstein usually provides "invisible value."
"He's not like a box score junkie, but he gets a lot done out there," Daigneault said following Sunday's 116-103 win over Minnesota.
The pivot has never been one to draw attention to himself when it comes to the more objectively exciting areas of play like scoring and shooting -- throughout his eight years in the association, he's averaged north of 9.0 points only twice and has made a total of just 27 three-pointers.
However, as the Thunder have experienced during his two year tenure with the franchise, it's his willingness to dominate the not-so-sexy aspects of the game like screening, protecting the paint, and crashing the glass that makes him underratedly invaluable.
His 12 boards (four of which came on the offensive glass), two blocks, and second-highest plus-minus of plus-13 only serve as the latest example of this sentiment in action.
Isaiah Joe calls Thunder center the best at 'creating action'
Perhaps the splashiest skill set in Hartenstein's bag of tricks is his ability to get teammates involved on the offensive end.
Whether it comes by way of his under-the-radar passing talents or his rock-solid, off-ball picks, the veteran has a knack for helping players around him get into the weeds of play.
In fact, as Isaiah Joe said after Sunday's win over the Wolves, he, along with fellow big man Jaylin Williams are "the best at creating action."
Among those who have logged 30 or more games this season, Hartenstein ranks 10 in screen assists per game (3.4) and seventh among centers in assists per 100 possessions (6.6).
He also ranks third on the Thunder in assists per game this season (minimum 30 games), and, more impressively, second in on-court offensive rating.
Hartenstein may not be a star in the technical sense, but he's undeniably a star in his role.
Coach Daigneault and I-Joe are merely just the most recent people to highlight this very real fact.