Following the regular season, and even through the first two rounds of the playoffs, a handful of contenders would’ve been ready to pay Isaiah Hartenstein(team-option) a pretty penny in the offseason. He was excellent on both sides of the ball, showed consistent signs of being a team player, and glued the Oklahoma City Thunder together since arriving in 2024.
However, the Western Conference Finals have been an ugly tale for Hartenstein. He already has a ridiculously tough matchup in Victor Wembanyama, and, to say the least, the Spurs have exposed his weaknesses.
Regardless of whether or not the Thunder win or lose and come out of the West in consecutive seasons, the fact that Hartenstein’s flaws were brought to light on the biggest stage will take a prominent toll on his next check.
He was probably going to receive a promotion from the $28-$30 million he’s earned over the last two seasons, but that’s definitely changed.
Isaiah Hartenstein’s value has notably dropped through the WCF
On paper, Isaiah Hartenstein seems solid through various aspects of the game. He’s played just 19.5 minutes versus the San Antonio Spurs, and has averaged 6.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. While these numbers are lower than those of the first two rounds, they certainly don’t flash any red flags to be worried about.
However, that’s where the eye-test comes in; Hartenstein’s play in the Western Conference Finals is a prime example of why the box scores don’t tell the full story.
Offensively, Hartenstein often finds himself lost. He does not have a three-point shot, and because Victor Wembanyama is 7’ 4” and knows how to use his size to protect the paint, the veteran big man can’t really contribute much on offense.
It’s either a heavily contested shot or a block in favor of Wembanyama.
Then, on the defensive side of the ball, not much needs to be said; Wembanyama has been cooking.
The young superstar recorded 41 points on 25 shots in game one, and 21 in game two, along with six assists.
Overall, it’s safe to say Hartenstein does not stand a chance against Wembanyama. He’s in a tough situation on both ends, and unfortunately for him, his value is being affected.
He still has a chance to bring it back up with a lot of basketball left to play, but with the way things are going, it's only going to keep getting worse.
Add us as a preferred source on Google