Why isn’t Isaiah Hartenstein playing for the Thunder against the Nuggets tonight, 24 November?

Despite solid showings in the 2023-24 NBA regular season, neither Oklahoma City or Denver Nuggets could rediscover their earlier form with both teams crashing out in the second round of the playoffs.

Oklahoma City were the No. 1 seeds in the West last year and are expected to challenge for the top seed in the conference having made a few changes in the team’s roster roster.

OKC traded guard Alex Caruso and signed center Isaiah Hartenstein as a free agent to add some depth in the frontcourt. However, the bad news for Thunder fans is that Hartenstein will miss at least a month with a broken bone in his left hand he sustained during a preseason game ten days ago in Denver.

Hartenstein’s absence will open the door for Chet Holmgren to guard three-time MVP Nikola Jokic on Thursday with the lofty 7-foot-1 power forward aware that he can’t defend the Nuggets’ 6-foot-11, 284-pound star alone.

“It’s not a ‘me’ preparing thing,” Holmgren said of facing Jokic. “It’s more of a ‘we’ preparing thing. He’s a really good player and there is no guarding him. There is no one on one matchup for him. You guard him with a whole team.”

The Thunder boast of the youngest and perhaps most talented teams in the NBA. Led by guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, and Holmgren, 22, Oklahoma City won 57 games last year and went 3-1 against Denver.