Last season, the Knicks had several players step into big roles. While it may not have translated to many wins, it was nice to see members of the team make big steps in their style of play. This year will likely be no exception, as this Knicks roster is full of young talent.
While it is obviously unknown as to how well New York will perform this season, that does not mean that we won’t see role players on the team make a massive impact on how the team plays.
I believe this team will be very exciting to watch this season, regardless of how well they perform. If these three players can step up and play into the big roles I believe that they’ll have, we could see some big success from the Knicks in 2022-23.
3 underrated Knicks players who will have massive roles this season
3: Isaiah Hartenstein
During the offseason, the Knicks signed former Clippers center Isaiah Hartenstein to a two-year, $16 million deal. When I heard about this signing, I was very excited, as Hartenstein is a very versatile and productive player.
Last season, we saw Nerlens Noel take a drop in production in comparison to his solid 2020-21 season. Noel wasn’t really the same on either side of the ball, taking big hits in efficiency and defensive statistics. With this in mind, the Knicks traded Noel alongside Alec Burks to the Detroit Pistons.
Following this trade, it became very clear that Hartenstein was the new backup center for New York. I believe that he will play a very crucial role as both a versatile scorer and defender.
Hartenstein had a career year in 2021-22, averaging 8.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.1 BPG in only 17.9 minutes per game. While his minutes were not plentiful, he was very productive when given the chance.
The Knicks have not had a floor-spacing big man for quite some time. Hartenstein may not be a high-volume three-point shooter, but even his ability to shoot an efficient mid-range shot is something that the team desperately needs.
In addition to his ability as a scorer, Hartenstein is also a very solid playmaker while also being a great defender. This kind of versatility will be unfathomably valuable for the team, as they have not had a center this versatile in a long time.
This season will be a great test for Hartenstein, as it is likely that he will see a career-high in minutes played. If this does happen, Hartenstein must be ready, as the team is really going to need his talent.