Isaiah Hartenstein Compares Embiid And Jokic, Choses One As ‘Toughest’ Opponent

Isaiah Hartenstein played an important role in the Thunder’s recent historic NBA season, in which they capped it off with a Game 7 championship victory over the Pacers, earning the franchise’s first-ever title. Even though players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander grabbed most headlines, it was certainly a team effort.

In a recent intweview on Gil’s Arena, the 27-year-old center opened up about his team’s achievements, and also expressed who are the toughest opponents he’s had to defend against in the league. The former Knicks center mentioned both Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, and explained the differences between them.

According to Isaiah, both players present a different kind of challenge. “When Joel was healthy, just straight one-on-one, I think Joel Embiid,” he explained. “It’s hard because you can’t really be physical with him — he’s good at drawing fouls, so strong, and can score from all angles.”

As for the Serbian center, the Oklahoma City big man recognized how his elite playmaking makes him a difficult player to handle. “Nikola Jokic is just hard to guard because he’s so good at passing,” he shared during his appearance on Gilbert Arena’s show.

Hartenstein continued. “Joel is more about direct post-ups, but with Jokic, you can’t really play team defense because he’ll pick you apart with his vision. So I think those are the two hardest I’ve had to guard — but in different ways.”

The OKC star, who signed a three-year, $87 million contract last summer, became a fundamental figure in his club’s success, averaging 11.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per match during his debut campaign with the Thunder.

Shaquille O’Neal is another public figure who constantly shares his opinions on the best centers in modern basketball. Just last week, he used Minnesota center Rudy Gobert as an example on who the NBA has become ‘too soft’, and then explained how Jokic is a great example on how some players have transcended their basketball archetypes.

“They never mention me as a GOAT, but I’m always in conversation for the most powerful player ever,” he assured. “I don’t frequently give accolades to centers, but I need to give all the accolades in the world to Nikola Jokic. It’s really impressive that we can look at this. He’s a real center, America,” O’Neal expressed.