Fresh off a championship win, the Oklahoma City Thunder are on top of the Western Conference rankings with an impressive 9-1 record through their first 10 games. The team is certainly focused, as center Isaiah Hartenstein shares some insight about everyone's mindset early in the season.

While talking with media members, Hartenstein claimed that he and his Thunder teammates are focused on every single step in the process. Oklahoma City is essentially making sure to take care of the small things and not think so much about defending the championship.

“We're trying to come in and not skip steps,” said Hartenstein. “I think that's when teams go into it thinking too much about defending a championship, that's kind of when you go off the rail. Think for us, it's we know we have to go through the regular season, not skip steps.”

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So far, it appears the Thunder are holding true to Isaiah Hartenstein's words. Oklahoma City is playing incredibly well, as five of its nine wins have been by 17 or more points. Team continuity and consistency have carried the club early on through the 2025-26 season.

Hartenstein, who is 27 years old, is one of the key players in the Thunder's rotation. He's played in all 10 games so far and is seemingly proving himself as one of the most reliable players on the roster. Isaiah Hartenstein is averaging 30.0 minutes per game, which has translated to him averaging 12.9 points (career-high), 11.7 rebounds (career-high), and 1.6 steals (career-high) while shooting 67.9% from the floor (career-high) and 70.4% from the free throw line.

If he continues this pace, then Isaiah Hartenstein will experience a career year. He'll have a chance to add on to his stats on Sunday when the Thunder take on the Memphis Grizzlies.