Isaiah Hartenstein was a huge talking point for Los Angeles Lakers fans during the second round, both as an adversary and as a potential offseason acquisition. As Hartenstein contributed one rock-solid performance after another for the Oklahoma City Thunder during its sweep of the LA, Lakers fans were obsessing over the possibility of I-Hart replacing many of Deandre Ayton's minutes for the Lake Show in 2026-27.
But all of that Hartenstein hype came to a crashing halt on Monday night when Lakers fans watched Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. As Hartenstein's Thunder took on Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs, it became obvious that Hartenstein's inability to stretch the floor made for a nightmare liability against Wemby, who was able to camp out near the bucket defensively and protect the rim quite easily against would-be Thunder drivers.
Longtime NBA writer points out major Isaiah Hartenstein flaw that should have Lakers second-guessing themselves
The Athletic's John Hollinger wrote about this Hartenstein problem after Game 1 of the WCF. “Against Wembanyama, ... [the] Thunder realized that one of their elite performers was unplayable," Hollinger pointed out. "Hartenstein can do a lot of things, but he can’t space the floor, and — as the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers already found out — that is basically fatal for a big man playing against Wembanyama, who will just sit in the paint and destroy an entire offense by himself.”
Lakers should no longer view Isaiah Hartenstein as an offseason target
If the Lakers' goal is to contend for a championship, why would they pursue a center who matches up horribly with the best center (and player) in the Western Conference ... a player who is bound to the West's "final boss" before a Finals berth for years to come?
It's a worthy lesson for Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka to be mindful of heading into a crucial offseason. And it applies to other players besides Hartenstein. Any center who can't stretch the floor and draw Wemby out to the perimeter (at least a tad) should be considered off-limits for the Lakers moving forward ... and this includes New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, despite all of the much-needed rebounding prowess that Robinson would bring to LA.
If it feels like Wemby is changing the goal posts in the West, it's because that's exactly what's happening. Any team with a big man who can't shoot will be quickly weakened against the Spurs for the foreseeable future.
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