Though everyone's automatically assuming Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will now have to carry even more of the offensive load with Jalen Williams' latest hamstring strain, there's another member of the OKC Thunder who should also now be taking on a much more extensive role within the club's on-court scheme.
And it may not be who you'd expect.
Veteran big man Isaiah Hartenstein has quietly proven himself to be one of the team's most natural facilitators and dime-droppers throughout his time in the Sooner State.
From his between-the-legs bounce passes off screens to his back-door cut assists, it's undeniable that I-Hart is an incredibly underrated setup artist.
While he's far from being capable of making up for Williams' bucket-getting abilities, as his career 7.1 points per game trump well in comparison to the All-Star's 18.0, the pivot shockingly seems to be one of the better options on the team when it comes to providing the highly efficient passing skills Dub has grown accustomed to leaning on over the past few years.
Since putting pen to paper on his current deal, Hartenstein has ranked fourth on the Thunder in assists per 100 possessions with 6.5 in 2024-25 and 7.0 here in 2025-26, and placed just behind Williams this season in on-off assists per game this season.
Though it's obvious that guys like Shai, Chet Holmgren, and Ajay Mitchell are now going to need to take on a larger share of scoring duties with OKC's cornerstone forward sidelined week-to-week, expect Hartenstein to play an increased role when it comes to getting these ballers clean looks at scoring opportunities.
Thunder proven capable of staying afloat without Jalen Williams already
As all fans are well aware, this is by no means the first time that the Thunder will be forced to play without Jalen Williams in their rotation this season.
Thanks to his rehab from offseason wrist surgery and two seperate hamstring injuries, the All-NBA forward was limited to a mere 33 games played this regular season.
While this is far from an ideal situation, the fact that they've already endured so many instances of him donning street clothes on the sidelines gives Oklahoma City somewhat of a familiarity with how to operate moving forward, with Gilgeous-Alexander telling reporters post-game that Williams' injury is "unfortunate," but "we played with so many lineups that it seemed pretty seamless" navigating without him to close out Game 2.
Though the superstar admitted that in order "to reach the mountaintop," they'll need him back on the hardwood, it's worth noting that throughout the 49 games he missed, Oklahoma City still managed to go 39-10.
All things considered, it seems more than evident that this Thunder squad is more than capable of holding things down, even in the high-stakes postseason, until he's eligible to return to action.
Add us as a preferred source on Google