1: Obi Toppin
While Hartenstein’s slick passing, impressive interior scoring, and blossoming outside game all complement Quickley and Rose extremely well, he also represents a perfect stylistic fit next to Obi Toppin.
He’s an underrated shot blocker who can also switch onto perimeter players, allowing the Knicks to cover up Toppin’s occasional defensive lapses.
He can also crash the glass at a respectable level, averaging just over 10 rebounds per 36 minutes in his career. This helps Toppin, who usually forgoes defensive rebounding chances in order to sprint down the court for easy fastbreak opportunities.
Hartenstein’s post-centric offense allows him to find cutters with ease, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone to see him connecting with the former top 10 pick on countless highlight-worthy plays next year. It’s easy to watch some of his passing highlights and imagine Toppin on the other end of each thunderous dunk.
The Knicks’ bench has become one of the top units in the league over the past couple of seasons, even despite last year’s disappointing 37-45 record. Considering that they just added a center whose skill set meshes with every backup, it doesn’t seem like a stretch to claim that they now have the most talented reserve unit in the NBA.
Grading the Knicks’ free agency signing of point guard Jalen Brunson
The New York Knicks and point guard Jalen Brunson agreed to a four-year, $104 million contract on the first day of free agency.