Why Thunder can barely play Isaiah Hartenstein against the Spurs
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Why Thunder can barely play Isaiah Hartenstein against the Spurs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have a great, traditional center: Isaiah Hartenstein.
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He's almost useless against the San Antonio Spurs.
Even as Game 1 went double overtime, Hartenstein played just a dozen minutes for OKC. It's likely to continue that way as the series goes on.
Here's why.
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Why are the Thunder barely playing Isaiah Hartenstein?
Simply put, he matches up miserably with the Spurs.
The Athletic's John Hollinger pointed this out in a smart article after Game 1.
Hartenstein played the first two minutes of the opener, subbed out for Alex Caruso, and then only played his other 10 minutes when Luke Kornet was on the floor for Victor Wembanyama.
The problem is that Hartenstein doesn't pull Wemby away from the basket.
His best work is done as a screener and an interior presence, but the last thing an offensive team needs is a guy who Wembanyama can simply guard near the paint. That leaves him near the basket to defend the rim against anyone else who comes inside.
By playing four guards at times, the Thunder spaced the floor more effectively, at least making Wemby venture out toward the arc.
Hartenstein's presence makes Wemby that much more dominant as a defender. Wembanyama is always going to be impactful, but the Thunder felt they couldn't give him an additional edge.
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