Isaiah Hartenstein had an incredible 2023-24 season with the New York Knicks, which earned him his new three-year, $87 million contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Teaming up with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, the 26-year-old veteran is expected to bring his grit to a team that has aspired to reach the NBA Finals since 2012.
Expected to start alongside Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein now has a bigger role with his current team and become another defensive anchor. However, in a recent interview with UrPerspective Podcast, he reveals that there is one player in the league that he can’t figure out and that is Robin Lopez.
“One guy who pisses me off, like I got love for him but I can’t guard him, that I have really trouble guarding is Robin Lopez… I’m just like coach, if Robin Lopez is in the game, it’s not going to be good,” said Hartenstein.
The German-American averaged 7.8 points and a career-high of 8.3 rebounds per game last season with the New York Knicks. His name became prominent in the Big Apple as he was able to hold his ground with the injuries of the team’s big men, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson, especially in the playoffs.
On the other hand, at 36 years old, Robin Lopez is still not signed for the 2024-25 NBA season. His last NBA stint was with the Milwaukee Bucks but was traded during the trade deadline to the Sacramento Kings but got waived.
Isaiah Hartenstein opens up on teaming up with Chet Holmgren on the OKC Thunder
The OKC Thunder exceeded expectations, finishing the 2023-24 season as the top team in the NBA Western Conference, beating the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. However, the playoffs is a different animal, as the young team lost to the Dallas Mavericks in four games during the West semis.
Owning one of the youngest rosters in the league, the Thunder knows well that they have a bright future ahead of them and a championship window on their stacked lineup. Throwing the bag on a role player like Isaiah Hartenstein raised some eyebrows but others see it as a logical move with as OKC addressed a huge need in the big man rotation.
Teaming up with Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein is expected to give the young big man some space and share the defensive duties. Forecasting on how they will play together, the seven-foot center is already excited for his role on Holmgren’s game.
“A lineup I’m also excited about is me and Chet Holmgren together. I think having him have the ability to roam like kind of how, different play style, but like you know how Giannis Antetokounmpo can roam, he can block shots just everywhere,” Hartenstein said through the UrPerspective podcast.
