The Thunder opened the preseason with a 112-107 win over the San Antonio Spurs. There were many bright spots for the Thunder during this game. One of the biggest problems, however, was the play of Isaiah Hartenstein. He finished the night with four points, eight rebounds and seven assists at +20 in just 17 minutes of play. Even though it was just a preseason game, Hartenstein’s new role with the Thunder shows why Sam Presti gave him a three-year, $87 million contract.

When the Thunder signed Hartenstein for $29 million per year, many people thought they overpaid for him. Last season with the New York Knicks, he averaged 7.8 points per game, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Those are good numbers for a role player in the NBA, but not for $29 million per year, especially for a big who didn’t shoot from distance and might come off the bench. However, it appears Hartenstein will be playing a new role with the Thunder that is similar to and different from the role he had with the Knicks last season. Today we’ll examine his new role and explain why he was paid $29 million annually.

Isaiah Hartenstein’s new role shows why the Thunder gave him $87 million

Hartenstein’s role with the Knicks

Hartenstein’s role after joining the Knicks was limited to being a good backup star for them. It was only when he was pushed into the starting lineup due to injury that his role changed. He formed a good connection with Jalen Brunson, and their pick-and-roll play was the driving force of the Knicks offense late in the season and into the playoffs. The Knicks also used his playmaking skills in the high post, but not enough to showcase those skills. After all, he was one of the better rim protectors in the NBA last season for the Knicks. Hartenstein helped the Knicks tremendously in the playoffs, especially when they suffered numerous injuries.

Hartenstein’s new role with the Thunder

Hartenstein’s new role with the Thunder will be similar to the role he played with the Knicks last season. It could easily be expanded. The main reason the Thunder took Hartenstein was his size and rebounding. That was prevalent in the first preseason game, as he grabbed eight rebounds in 17 minutes without playing in the second half. If he had played the entire game, he would have easily gotten double-digit rebounds. This was something the Thunder desperately needed as they were one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA.

Added to his rebounding and rim protection on defense is his expanded offensive game. The Thunder want him to get threes and have given him the green light. Shooting three-pointers was something Hartenstein didn’t show at all with the Knicks. However, it doesn’t look like he’s shooting five three-pointers per game, but at most two to three per game. That’s perfect and a good number to add some dimension to Hartenstein’s game. The Thunder also want to take advantage of his post-up game, something he didn’t do as much with the Knicks last season. If he can become a decent shooter and add more post-up game to everything he does on offense, he will become a more well-rounded offensive player.

Use his passing skills more

Another thing Hartenstein showed off in his preseason debut was his passing ability. He had seven assists and the Thunder ran much of their offense with him in the high post. This was something he showed last year with the Knicks, but it was underused as he averaged just 2.5 assists per game and 3.5 in the playoffs. With the Thunder losing Josh Giddey and his playmaking ability, Hartenstein could be the one to help fill that void. The Thunder want to use him in the high post and could use him to start many of their offensive plays. Hartenstein can easily achieve a career-high average in assists.

How will his screening ability help others?

Finally, Hartenstein’s screening ability will help make offense easier for the Thunder. Last season, the Thunder didn’t have a traditional screening center and had to eliminate a majority of their screens. However, with Hartenstein they no longer have to do that. He will be able to create space that players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams didn’t have last year. This won’t be as common in the regular season, but will be very important in the postseason. Defenses play more aggressively in the postseason and space teams have to slow down in the regular season. This will help players like Jalen and Shai get to their spots much easier and have more room to get a shot up in the playoffs.

The last word

Hartenstein was already a good full-back and offensive player. However, adding these new facets to his game and expanding his fine skillset will allow him to be more versatile on offense. This will make the $29 million per year look more respectable instead of being seen as an overpayment.