Marc Daigneault reveals the special combination behind Isaiah Hartenstein’s hot start

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault reflected on Isaiah Hartenstein’s outstanding start into the season after scoring a career-high 33 points and 19 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings, followed by an impressive performance against the Memphis Grizzlies. He finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds, two steals and one block in a 114-100 victory where the Thunder erased a 19-point deficit.

After the win, Daigneault talked about Hartenstein growth in the past yearincluding a championship run with the Thunder, as the 27-year-old center is playing at an all-time high.

“A combination of where he’s at in his career. He’s a guy who’s really taken advantage of a lot of experiences,” Daigneault said. “He’s played for a lot of different teams and he’s had a challenging journey to get to this point in his career, and he’s worked on this player. So he deserves a lot of individual credit for that. That’s enough for him.

“I think as his time here in Oklahoma City has gone on, he’s gotten more chemistry with the guys and understanding how to fit into this system and this team. The combination of those two things makes him play, obviously, at a very high level,” Daigneault concluded.

Hartenstein’s NBA journey is the road less traveled by most players. The 2017 second-round pick bounced around the league for years before cracking the head coaching rotation, first with the Los Angeles Clippers before building his reputation as a productive two-way center in two seasons with the New York Knicks.

Then the Thunder offered a contract the Knicks couldn’t match — a three-year, $87 million deal in 2024.

Isaiah Hartenstein’s dad on the Thunder’s 2025-26 season.

Thunder Isaiah Hartenstein’s unique journey of playing for four teams in the same number of years prior to his two seasons with the Knicks helped him become the championship starting center he is today, which was the best way Thunder head coach Mark Dayno explained his effective start.

Hartenstein’s father, Florian Hartenstein, told ClutchPoints that his son’s development has led him to expect Isaiah’s best season in 2025-26.

“He understood that. To play in the NBA, you have to figure out a role. I think that’s one of the hardest parts, especially for younger players — to figure out what my role is in the NBA. Because if you’re not like the top pick, you can’t play the way you want,” Florian told ClutchPoints. “You have to find the role that suits you best, and he’s figured out how to mentally put himself in situations where he’s like, OK, the team wants this.”

The Thunder finished their four-game road trip with a 3-1 record.