The injury bug continues to plague the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although the team just got Jalen Williams back from injury for his season debut on Friday night against the Phoenix Suns, that was the same game Isaiah Hartenstein was ruled out. At the time, there wasn’t much clarity on how severe the injury was or what it meant moving forward.

That changed on Saturday when the Thunder announced Hartenstein had sustained a right soleus strain and will be re-evaluated in 10 to 14 days. It’s critical to understand that this is strictly a re-evaluation timeline. There’s no guarantee he returns at the end of that window or anything close to it.

What is certain is that Hartenstein won’t take the floor again until at least mid-December. Even in a best-case scenario, the earliest realistic return would be around December 10 for the Thunder’s first NBA Cup knockout game. Just as realistically, he could be sidelined until sometime around Christmas.

This is a significant blow because Hartenstein provides the physical interior presence that rounds out Oklahoma City’s frontcourt. As phenomenal as Chet Holmgren is defensively and as deserving as he is of his status as the early favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, his style is very different from Hartenstein’s. Holmgren thrives as a rangy, reactive defender who erases shots and blows up actions with timing and length.

Hartenstein is a bruiser who absorbs contact, anchors the paint, and handles the bulkier matchups. Without him, Holmgren will have to shoulder more responsibility as the primary center.

Expect increased minutes from Brandon Carlson, along with Jaylin Williams playing more small-ball five due to his physicality and versatility. The Thunder have the depth to weather this stretch, but the ripple effects will be noticeable.

The bigger picture here is what makes this storyline so fascinating. The Thunder still hasn’t had its ideal starting lineup play a single game this season. Oklahoma City was without Jalen Williams for the first 19 games, and his first night back coincided with Hartenstein’s first game out.

If the timing finally aligns when Hartenstein returns, Thunder fans will at last get a look at the group that anchored last year’s championship run: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein. That is the core five this season has been building toward, and the sooner the Thunder can get them back on the floor together, the sooner they can start looking like the title favorites they believe they are.