Jalen Williams' Thunder take on Isaiah Hartenstein in contrast to Chet Holmgren

11/21/2024 03:38 PM

After over a week of the Oklahoma City Thunder having three inactive centers on their injury report, starting forward Jalen Williams was thrilled for Isaiah Hartenstein’s Thunder debut against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Starting center Chet Holmgren injured his pelvic bone in a 127-116 loss against the Golden State Warriors. He’s ruled out long-term, while Hartenstein’s tenure with Oklahoma City officially kicked off Wednesday in an impressive 109-99 win against the Trail Blazers.

After missing 15 games, Harteinstein delivered a double-double (13 points, 14 rebounds) with four blocks and three assists. It’s the kind of production the Thunder lacked in the Holmgren’s absence, as OKC is 3-3 since Chet went down. However, on the second night of a back-to-back, Hartenstein undoubtedly delivered a much-needed punch from the second unit.

Still, when a reporter asked Williams if the veteran’s play was reminiscent of Holmgren, it was difficult for him to commit to that speculatory notion following Hartenstein’s long-awaited debut.

“I feel like him and Chet are like two different players, but in regards to just having a big down there, he did a terrific job,” Williams said. “But we also don’t want to use them as an excuse not to be aggressive on the wing. We have a lot of good wing-to-ball defenders. So, I think it’s one of those things where it just gives you more comfort having him at the rim. When Chet gets back, too, having them both there will be very comforting.

“But, on the wing, we try to get him to the ball, pressure up, and trust the guys that we have out there.”

Jalen Williams on Isaiah Hartenstein’s ‘rebounding gravity’

Jalen Williams knows Isaiah Hartenstein certainly didn’t disappoint in his Thunder debut. Hartenstein secured five of 15 offensive rebounds, assisting the Thunder with second-chance plays while giving his team size up front against the Trail Blazers.

After the win, Williams talked about Hartenstein’s impact on the glass.

“Just having him back adds rebounding gravity. Then, when he’s not in the game, it’s just something that we’ve been dealing with all season due to injuries,” Williams said. “I think our biggest thing was not veering from it now that he’s back. I know I made a joke about it — having to jump-ball again — but we still do have to play relatively small when he’s not on the court. So, a lot of those principles that we built up over the course of the season, we still have to kind of maintain.”

Hartenstein’s presence in the middle also coerced the Trail Blazers into committing 22 turnovers in Wednesday’s loss.

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