While the month-long delay of Isaiah Hartenstein’s regular season debut with the OKC Thunder may not have been ideal, his inclusion in the rotation came at the perfect time.

After star Chet Holmgren went down with a fractured right iliac wing in early November, again adding to the ball club’s ever-growing injury report, I-Hart was medically cleared to return to the hardwood for sub-game action just six games later.

While he may not have the overall talent of Holmgren when healthy, Hartenstein’s inclusion in the rotation in his absence was an absolute godsend.

From his enviable 7-foot, 249-pound frame to his dominant screenwriting style, the 26-year-old’s influence on on-field performance in Oklahoma City was undeniable, hence the 7-1 record with him.

However, when it comes to his status from a league-wide perspective, Hartenstein made strong claims ahead of Tuesday’s NBA Cup match against the Dallas Mavericks about his efficiency and performance on the boards, which should be of great use in the quarterfinal clash.

OKC Thunder big Isaiah Hartenstein talks rebounding skills

During a post-practice media session, Hartenstein discussed OKC’s most recent outing against Dallas on Nov. 17, in which he was still sidelined with a fractured left hand.

When discussing what he thinks he may have contributed to the team during the 121-119 loss, the center acknowledged that Dallas was able to use their larger stature as a team to their advantage (by implementing a rotation of several Players with a height of around 1.80 m). -10 while OKC had 6-foot-11 Jalen Williams as their starter), and this time they were able to capitalize on his rebounding skills.

“I know I’m one of the best rebounders in the league. Bringing that toughness into the game, bringing rebounds into the game, physicality. That was something that, as I was watching (back on November 17th), I could definitely help with.” Hartenstein said.

Hartenstein isn’t afraid to make bold claims about his individual abilities, even calling himself “one of the best passers in the NBA.” But just as with his distribution claims, the big man has managed to give his lofty words strong statistical support.

Since his first game of this regular season on Nov. 20, Isaiah Hartenstein ranks fourth in rebounds per game at 12.8 and sixth in rebound percentage among those who have played seven or more games during that span.

What’s exciting about this level of proficiency heading into Tuesday’s matchup is the fact that the Thunder were clearly overwhelmed on the boards in their last game against Dallas, out-rebounding 53-29 and making 24 second-chance chances in comparison. Points left her seven.

Considering that the then vertically struggling Thunder lost their last game against the Mavericks by just 2 points, the inclusion of someone like Hartenstein and his skills (namely rebounding and the ability to limit second chance opportunities) is only fitting An improvement will help the ball club’s chances of revenge.