The Oklahoma City Thunder are hit by a big injury blow since their prized free agent acquisition, Isaiah Hartenstein, will miss the start of the 2024-25 NBA season due to an injured hand.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the 26-year-old center sustained a small, non-displaced fracture injury in his left hand during the Oklahoma City Thunder’s preseason win against the Denver Nuggets and Hartenstein will be re-assessed in five to six weeks.
Since Isaiah Hartenstein is sidelined, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s frontcourt depth has become thin. Chet Holmgren will play mostly at the five spot, while Jalen Williams will likely play at power forward.
Jaylin Williams is listed as the backup center behind Holmgren, but he is ruled out for the remainder of the preseason due to a strained hamstring. Kenrich Williams should also take up more minutes, but he is recovering from knee surgery and will likely miss the start of the new campaign.
Ousmane Dieng could get his opportunity with the Oklahoma City Thunder after a strong preseason
The Oklahoma City Thunder could turn to Ousmane Dieng to provide quality minutes at the center position this season, especially since head coach Mark Daigneault praised his progress.
“Ous has really made a lot of strides. He came in as the youngest player in the Draft and has made continuous progress since he’s been here,” Daigneault told reporters after their game against the New Zealand Breakers. “And he continues to do a nice job.”
Credit: AP Photo
Ousmane Dieng was the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He has only played 33 games for the Oklahoma City Thunder last season, but he is finding his groove this preseason, averaging 11.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 42.2 percent from the field.
His best outing came against the New Zealand Breakers, as he flirted with a triple-double, notching 20 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks in 37 minutes.
