Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault addressed Isaiah Hartenstein’s extraordinary start to the season, following a 33-point, 19-rebound career-high against the Sacramento Kings, with an impressive performance against the Memphis Grizzlies. He finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds, two steals, and one block in a 114-100 win, where the Thunder erased a 19-point deficit.
After the win, Daigneault talked about Hartenstein’s growth over the past year, including a championship run with the Thunder, as the 27-year-old center is playing at an all-time high.
“A combination of where he is in his career. He’s a guy that’s really used a lot of experiences,” Daigneault said. “He’s played for a lot of different teams and had a challenging road to get himself to this point in his career, and he’s worked himself into this player. So, he deserves a lot of individual credit for that.
“I think as his time has gone on here, in Oklahoma City, he’s gained more and more chemistry with the guys, and understanding of how to blend into this system and this team. The combination of those two things has him playing, obviously, at a very high level,” Daigneault concluded.
Hartenstein’s NBA journey is a path less traveled by most players. The 2017 second-round pick bounced around the league for years before cracking a head coach’s rotation, which first happened with the Los Angeles Clippers before building his reputation as a productive two-way center in his two seasons with the New York Knicks.
Then, the Thunder offered a deal the Knicks couldn’t match — a three-year, $87 million contract in 2024.
Isaiah Hartenstein’s dad about his son’s 2025-26 Thunder season
Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein’s unique path of playing for four teams in the same number of years before his two seasons with the Knicks helped mold him to become the champion starting center he is today, which was Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault's best way to explain his efficient start.
Hartenstein's dad, Florian Hartenstein, told ClutchPoints that his son's development has led him to anticipate Isaiah's best season in 2025-26.
“He’s figured it out. To play in the NBA, you have to figure out a role. I think that’s one of the hardest parts, especially for younger players — is to figure out what my role is in the NBA. Because if you’re not like a top pick, you don’t get to play the way you want,” Florian tells ClutchPoints. “You have to find a role that you fit best, and he’s figured out how to mentally put himself in situations where it’s like, OK, the team wants this.”
The Thunder concluded its four-game road trip, 3-1.
