Now a 68-win powerhouse, the Thunder’s success certainly did not come easy. In a bold offseason move, they signed Isaiah Hartenstein for three years, with an 87 million deal. Mark Daigneault said, “He gives himself to the game…Screens, crashes, communicates, all the invisible things that make teams better. That’s why we’ve played so well with him.” His HC even called him critical against Indiana, which brings us to the biggest question at hand: Why did Hartenstein play for only 17 minutes in the Finals Game 1?

OKC opened the game with a smaller lineup, and Daigneault placed Cason Wallace in place of Hartenstein. A risky move by the OKC coach to speed up the game, the OKC coach went for defensive versatility over size. But it didn’t pan out as well as he had imagined. The Thunder made 143 fewer passes than Indiana, and Wallace himself was left ruing OKC’s display. “We didn’t move the ball like we usually do.”

And that’s where Hartenstein shines. One of the NBA’s top passing bigs, he’s a connector, despite failing to record a single assist in Game 1. Still, he set several screens that directly freed up SGA for clear lanes and created space with smart timing and positioning. OKC score 121.1 points per 100 possessions when Hartenstein plays. But without him, they fell to 94.1 in Game 1, which is a stark contrast. So, with the ESPN’s injury report clearing Isaiah Hartenstein for the NBA Finals Game 2, it is essential that Daigneault make use of his playmaking. 

However, for his part, Hartenstein isn’t lobbying much. For him, it is a sacrifice he must make for the team. “We have one of the best coaches in the league. We trust whatever choices he makes. If you wanna win a championship, there’s gotta be sacrifices,” Hartenstein said. “That’s what I’m ready to do.” However, the rest of the Thunder’s bench will be returning to the court without any injury apart Nikola Topic, who is still out due to a knee injury. Meanwhile, for the Pacers, Jarace Walker and Isaiah Jackson are out.

Will Hartenstein finally make it back to the Thunder’s starting five?

OKC’s woes may not completely wipe out with the return of Isaiah Hartenstein. But if the Thunder continue to struggle with their ball movement and rebounding, Daigneault must consider it. Hartenstein has been the engine behind most of their offensive rhythm this season, and bringing back Holmgren-Hartenstein could solve OKC’s two problems at once. 

However, for now, the OKC starting lineup could look like the following:

Without Hartenstein, the Thunder seem to have lost their mojo. As guard Alex Caruso put it, “We’ve been a freedom-of-movement, five-guys-live, make-a-play kind of team all year.” And if the Thunder wishes to find it again, the OKC coach needs to put their connector back in the center.