The OKC Thunder seemed virtually unstoppable for the vast majority of their 2023-24 season.
From their offensive and overall net ratings that ranked third and second in the league, respectively, to their sensationally deep rotation that was headlined by MVP-snubbed superstar, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and rising studs Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City seemed to be the most well-constructed team in the entire association.
That is, until it came to their second-round playoff demise against the Dallas Mavericks. Then it was made obvious that, even with all their talent, they still had some deficiencies within their arsenal, with easily the most glaring one being their lack of size up in the frontcourt.
Though coach Mark Daigneault had the 7-foot-1 rookie phenom Chet Holmgren manning the pivot position, his featherweight build of just 207 pounds proved to be far too light and, in turn, a major advantage for the Mavericks when going up against bulkier bigs like Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.
Because of this, it was obvious heading into the offseason that the Thunder seriously needed to address their lackluster size down low, and, in an effort to add a solution to this clear problem, Sam Presti and company opted to sign 26-year-old big, Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency.
While to some, bringing him on via a three-year, $87 million payday may be viewed as a serious overpay -- after all, he's only started 61 games throughout his six-year career and has predominantly been used as a low-usage role player -- with his enviable 7-foot, 249-pound frame the highly touted center presents as an ideal acquisition to provide much-needed muscle to their lineup.
In fact, Fox Sports analyst Ric Bucher recently went as far as to claim that the signing of Hartenstein "gives them the one thing they were missing last year aside from experience."
That thing, of course, is an edge in the size department.
Isaiah Hartenstein provides Thunder with 'the one thing' they lacked
On top of this, Bucher would continue to highlight how, exactly, Hartenstein's build can benefit this Thunder rotation, stating that he can "take up the pounding around the paint and give Chet Holmgren a little bit of relief."
Throughout his career in the association, I-Hart has established himself as a tough-nosed, interior presence who can gobble up boards, protect the rim, and go up against some of the game's best bigs on the defensive end with zero to no hesitation -- take his head-to-head matchup against Joel Embiid last year and, especially, in round one of the playoffs, for example.
During his 2023-24 campaign with the Knicks, Hartenstein was tasked with filling in as the brawn down low for the New York Knicks after regular starting five, Mitchell Robinson, was forced to the sidelines due to injury.
In such a role, the big man dropped a career-best season, posting impressive averages of 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks while shooting 64.4 percent from the field.
Now, after being courted by several different clubs this offseason, he brings his talents to the Thunder where he'll look to provide the "one thing," as Bucher put it, that seemed to hold them back from running through the Western Conference postseason and clinching their first Finals berth since 2012.