When the Oklahoma City Thunder signed Isaiah Hartenstein last summer, the expectation was clear. He’d be the team’s physical anchor inside. 

A rebounding machine and interior presence off the bench (what some thought at the time) or next to Chet Holmgren in specific lineups. What no one saw coming, however, was how well he would mesh with Jaylin Williams, a player he didn’t share the floor with once last season. Yet here we are, and the results have been surprisingly effective.

The Thunder have stumbled upon something that works. The pairing of Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams shouldn’t really make sense on paper. Two bigs who aren’t elite athletes and don’t fit the mold of a traditional floor spacing frontcourt.

But in practice, their chemistry and skill sets have meshed in a way that’s both unexpected and encouraging.

The key lies in their shared versatility and unselfishness. Both players are natural playmakers, comfortable making reads from the elbows, the top of the key, or short roll situations. 

Their willingness to move the ball and find cutters has opened up new wrinkles in Oklahoma City’s offense. It’s not often you see a frontcourt where both bigs can initiate action, but Hartenstein and Williams make it work through instinct and intelligence.

“Playmaking bigs” is a phrase thrown around often, but it’s genuinely applicable here. Hartenstein’s knack for threading passes to slashers and cutters has been a known strength since his days with the Knicks, and Williams’ court vision has always been one of his more underrated tools. 

When the two have shared the floor, the ball rarely sticks and that’s a dream for a Thunder offense built on quick decisions and movement.

Why didn’t they share the floor last season though?

A few reasons. To start, they were both injured last season at times and the opportunity wasn’t always there. There was also not necessarily a need to use them together when the Thunder like playing small. 

This season, Jaylin Williams’ improved shooting has made that a lot easier to do. His confidence from three point range has grown significantly, giving this duo a new layer of spacing that didn’t exist before. Defenders can no longer sag off him too much, which allows Hartenstein to operate more freely as a screener, rebounder, and connector. 

Williams’ ability to knock down open looks keeps defenses honest, turning what might have been a little more cramped paint last year into a balanced half court setup.

It’s fair to say this combination might never have been explored if not for the Thunder’s injury situation. With Jalen Williams, Kenrich Williams, Thomas Sorber, and Chet Holmgren all sidelined, Mark Daigneault was a little forced to tinker and experiment.

The unexpected frontcourt pairing was born out of necessity, but it’s one that deserves to stick even when the roster returns to full strength.

Sometimes, opportunity creates innovation. What started as a patchwork adjustment has revealed a lineup with surprising chemistry, balance, and IQ. Hartenstein and Williams may not be the long-term frontcourt solution, but they’ve shown enough to warrant more minutes together.

In a season filled with lineup experimentation and growth for this Thunder team, this unexpected duo might just be one of the Thunder’s most pleasant discoveries yet.