Nikola Jokic may be the best big man currently in the association, but his headman believes the OKC Thunder have a "really good" center of their own.
Following Sunday's first night of a back-to-back between Oklahoma City and the Denver Nuggets, a contest in which the home-town Thunder pulled away with a 127-103 victory, coach Michael Malone spoke glowingly about the two-headed monster of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein but specifically honed in on the latter's abilities.
Michael Malone speaks glowingly about Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein
"Isaiah's a really good player... He's a true center, allows Chet to play a little bit of the four. Isaiah's big, strong, a good rebounder, very good play-maker and a really nice addition for [the Thunder]," Malone said of Hartenstein.
As many may already be aware, Malone has an established relationship with Hartenstein dating back to the 2020-21 campaign when the center was a member of the Nuggets roster.
Though his tenure out in the Mile High City was rather short-lived, as he lasted just 30 games before being shipped out to Cleveland that March, the 26-year-old has since admitted that his stint with Malone and Jokic proved to be quite impactful on his development as a player.
Now in first year with the Thunder and seventh in the NBA, it's undeniable that Hartenstein is putting forth a career season.
Through 43 games played, the big man finds himself posting new highs in points (10.9), rebounds (11.3), and assists (4.0) while swatting 1.0 blocks per game.
On top of this, he's also proven to be one of Oklahoma City's most effective two-way contributors, as he ranks fourth on the team in defensive rating (104.6), sixth in net rating (13.6), and third in overall win shares (5.2) out of those who have logged 40 or more games on the year.
With him in the lineup, the Thunder boast a ridiculous winning percentage of roughly 88.37 with their record of 38-5.