Jalen Williams watched Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein shined in his debut, lifting the Thunder in a 109-99 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers to snap a two-game skid on Wednesday. Hartenstein notched a double-double (13 points, 14 rebounds), blocked two shots, and finished with two assists. The veteran center also made a lasting impression on Williams, who saw Isaiah take the steps necessary for such an impressive debut after missing 15 regular-season games for Oklahoma City.
Williams scored 32 points on 11-of-19 attempts, including 5-of-9 from behind the 3-point arc. After the win, he talked about what impressed him the most about Hartenstein’s debut.
“I think the biggest thing I saw was just how hard he was working to stay in shape. That’s a really hard thing to do when you’re hurt, especially when you can’t use your dominant hand,” Williams said. “So, a lot of it is just actually running, and you know, you guys post on [X] the ball-handling stuff. So, you guys say that. But I think just coming in there day in and day out, knowing you have to condition and work on your game without your dominant hand, is tough.
“He made the most of it, and now he’s coming back. I didn’t really see the ramp up, obviously, we’ve been on the road or gone when he got the cast off. I assume he was working just as hard when he got the cast off.”
Then, Williams recalled how he felt when he knew Harteinstein would be back in action for the Thunder’s matchup against the Trail Blazers.
“I was happy; I probably knew everybody in here before. But, yeah, and I still jumped ball tonight,” Williams added with a smile. “So, it didn’t really change too much for the start of the game.”
Jalen Williams on Thunder signing Isaiah Hartenstein
Jalen Williams values Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein’s return from a left-hand injury. He admits to growing close with Hartenstein, as many of his teammates have since training camp — which is a testament to the kind of personalities the Thunder organization targets.
And Hartenstein’s no different.
“He’s a cool dude. That’s been the m.o. for anybody new that comes in. So, that’s more of a who we’re getting, and who we’re bringing in the facility,” Williams said. “Yeah, he’s just cool to be around. He’s had to really work his way up in the NBA to get to where he’s at. So, he’s a pretty humble individual. I think that makes him more personable to how our team is built.”
Harteinstein and the Thunder improved to 12-4.
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