Isaiah Hartenstein's OKC Thunder teammates are thrilled to have him back in the rotation

The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the most competitive rosters in the league. The majority of them were the same players who won the NBA championship in 2025. This season, they have not been the healthiest, but they remain the favorites.

One of the players who caught the injury bug was center Isaiah Hartenstein. He is a crucial cog in the OKC Thunder system, and everyone is thrilled that he is making his return against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Hartenstein's return has the Thunder excited

Succeeding in the NBA requires good depth, and the Thunder are blessed with talent all over the roster. Most people will look at their trio of star players with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams.

Beyond that, they still have some superb players, including Hartenstein. They all fit within head coach Mark Daigneault's system, which makes them such a good contender to win another title.

MORE: Thunder fall from top spot in latest NBA power rankings

Ahead of their game against the Timberwolves, Hartenstein became part of the active rotation. That is huge for the Thunder because they have been waiting for him to make his comeback.

"It helps with size. It helps with everyone; he's an all-around player. He rebounds, he screens, he creates action. He makes it easier for everybody else on the floor. Just having his presence out there can be menacing," Isaiah Joe said ahead of Hartenstein's return.

The Thunder have not been the best rebounding team this season, which has led to them losing some games. They need to be much better on the boards, and Hartenstein provides them with a good rebounder.

Moving forward, a healthy Hartenstein could be the key to the Thunder's success. They will be prepared to keep fighting, as they have a much deeper squad than the majority of this successful season.

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