Will Hartenstein evolve into a dependable outside shooter in 2024?

The Oklahoma City Thunder's most striking addition of the offseason was Isaiah Hartenstein, the 26-year-old big man who has come on in recent years as one of the top niche players in the association.

In desperate need of an additional rebounder and rim protector, OKC hastened to find a suitable actor next to emerging center Chet Holmgren.

I-Hart’s big evolution?

Since entering the league in 2018, Isaiah has improved in various aspects of his game, most notably on offense, where he’s gone from a non-factor to a quality screen-setter and dependable scorer inside the restricted area.

Since Hartenstein’s decision to sign with the Thunder, fans of the team have been aggressively asking if the center has another dimension to his scoring, especially after he was seen working on his outside shot in a video that surfaced on social media .

Hartenstein adding a 3-point shot to his arsenal may be more imagination than a soon-to-be reality — but could he surprise us next season?

USA Today’s Clemente Almanza gave his three predictions for the star big man in the upcoming season. Does he think the 26-year-old is in for a revolutionary year from the perimeter?

“Since his arrival, Hartenstein's outside shot has become a talking point,” he writes . “He hopes to bring his outside shot back into his diet. He's shot 27-of-87 (31%) from 3 in his career but eliminated the shot last season when he took just three attempts. Considering OKC's 5-out offense, some hope he brings that back to his repertoire. There's some skepticism involved in this. Sure, maybe he can take more 3-point attempts this season. But the amount will likely be closer to being inconsequential than it is to him suddenly being a stretch big. Unless he averages one-plus attempts a game, all these talks have been fluff. This is one of those things where someone has to see it to believe it first.”

While many believe he can evolve into a reliable outside shooter, perhaps that is a longer-term goal and not something we can expect will come to fruition next season. Hartenstein was a non-factor from the perimeter a season ago, trying only three shots total, which is way down from 37 attempts two seasons ago.

Although his lack of shooting lowers his offensive capacity, the big man more than makes up for it in other areas of the court, like his unique ability to pass. He tied a career-high 2.5 assists last season and recorded a whopping 22.8% assist percentage in the 2020 season, which shows his great potential.

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Playing next to Jalen Brunson a season ago, the center delivered impactful results and demonstrated his elite ability when playing next to an All-Star facilitator. With Brunson and Hartenstein in the lineup, the Knicks secured a 14.7 net rating, the highest mark between any two-player combination that shared at least 800 minutes on the court last season.

Alongside perennial MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous Alexander next season, Isaiah is positioned to deliver his most substantial impact and make the Thunder a multi-faceted team on both sides of the ball. That’s not to mention the potential results OKC can yield with the Chet Holmgren and Hartenstein pairing up in the front court, giving the Thunder a size advantage on most nights.

Related: Isaiah Hartenstein’s No. 1 expectation for next season