Isaiah Hartenstein’s played with some of the best players in the league, from spending time with Nikola Jokic in Denver to Kawhi Leonard in Los Angeles, the New York Knicks’ newest center has gained valuable experience since being drafted in 2018.
Before the Knicks signed Jalen Brunson to a deal in free agency, Hartenstein agreed to sign a two-year deal with the team. He’s coming off the best year of his career, where he averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 68 games with the Clippers.
During Hartenstein’s stint in LA, the Clippers were without Leonard, who missed the entire 2021-22 season with an ACL injury, and Paul George played in only 31 games. Los Angeles came up short in the play-in tournament, but the team is expected to be one of the best in the league this season.
Hartenstein only spent a year with the Clippers, but it was one that helped to shape him as a player. On Tuesday, he was asked about making the move from LA to NYC, and the 24-year-old answered with a thoughtful response.
Isaiah Hartenstein, coming from a contender to a 37-win team, was not concerned that the Knicks would not a team focused on winning for one reason. pic.twitter.com/elYkGz7p7x
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) October 11, 2022
Isaiah Hartenstein reveals how Knicks will be able to succeed in 2022-23
Tom Thibodeau doesn’t exactly have a strong group of supporters in New York, but Isaiah Hartenstein’s yet another Knicks player that has praised the head coach. Thanks to Thibodeau, New York has a true stretch five in Hartenstein.
The seven-foot big man knocked down two three-pointers in the Knicks’ preseason debut, which is something that Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims can’t do. He’s also displayed a couple of impressive passes for someone his size. As mentioned, it’s evident that he played alongside Jokic because you can see flashes of the back-to-back MVP in Hartenstein’s game.
After New York didn’t land Donovan Mitchell this summer, the organization was criticized for failing to land a star player (again). Hartenstein was able to put that in perspective.
Hartenstein also noted, accurately, " We might not have a Kawhi Leonard or someone like that, but we have a lot of great guys who can really help us win. That’s really the only way we can really win is if we play together and play hard together."
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) October 11, 2022
He’s right. One of the Knicks’ main strengths is their depth, and that includes Hartenstein. Outside of the starting five (which will likely be Brunson, Fournier, Barrett, Randle, and Robinson to start the season), New York has a solid second unit with players such as Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley, and Obi Toppin.
The Knicks may not be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, but if they go out and compete on a nightly basis, New York isn’t going to be a team that contenders want to face. Hartenstein knows that, and he’s expected to be a key part of the Knicks’ success this season.
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