For the first time in his career, Isaiah Hartenstein is posting a triple-double average.

He has started the most games in a season in his now eight-year career at 53 games with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Since Hartenstein’s signing last July and his eventual debut, he’s made a positive impact on this team, filling a much-needed role and altering Oklahoma City’s dynamic. At nearly 11 rebounds a game Hartenstein has shifted a weak point this Thunder team held a year ago in its rebounding performance.

They’d get exposed by bigger front courts as a rookie Chet Holmgren couldn’t quite physically compete, as well as Jaylin Williams. It eventually led to a rough six-game series against the Dallas Mavericks in last season’s second round of the playoffs. With a bruiser Daniel Gafford and a talented rookie in Dereck Lively II, Oklahoma City and Holmgren could not keep up with Dallas’ front court presence. It also didn’t help that P.J. Washington was making just about everything he shot.

The Thunder sat in the bottom five of the league in rebounding for last season’s duration. Now, Oklahoma City sits at 12th across the association in that category, averaging 44.7 boards a game compared to 42 from last season.

Hartenstein’s hand in that has been quintessential, and so has the effort head coach Mark Daigneault has helped instill into his team. In the playoffs, it’ll become even more vital as teams look to nullify the Thunder in that regard.

Creating extra opportunities and limiting them for opponents will be immense, as the repercussions of second-chance opportunities struck the Thunder down to ultimately end its season a year ago.

This season shows a more refined and prepared version of itself, as Oklahoma City’s best record in franchise history serves as a solid testament to this squad’s capability—though, to do that in the playoffs, it takes consistency and maintaining core principles brought on by Daigneault.