Isaiah Hartenstein Reacts to Making Clippers Roster

Isaiah Hartenstein is excited after making the LA Clippers roster

AP Photo/Alex Gallardo

After a pre-season battle between Isaiah Hartenstein and Harry Giles for the LA Clippers' final roster spot, the team announced Saturday morning that they had waived Giles, paving the way for Hartenstein to make the team. When asked about the decision, head coach Ty Lue said, "That was tough. We thought Harry was great. Harry did a lot of great things. He's definitely an NBA player, we know that for sure. We thought Isaiah did a good job as well, so it was a tough decision. I hate to see Harry go." 

Coach Lue continued his answer by saying that as tough as it was to part with Giles, he is happy for Isaiah Hartenstein, who earned the spot with his play during the pre-season. Lue specifically highlighted Hartenstein's passing ability as one of the things that stood out the most during pre-season. In just 13.3 minutes per contest in four pre-season games, Hartenstein averaged 7.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 3.5 APG. These averages were highlighted by a performance of 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks in just 16 minutes of action.

When asked about the opportunity to play for the Clippers, Hartenstein said, "I love the organization, I love my teammates, I think that has made it a lot easier, especially playing for Ty Lue." Hartenstein added that he had a good feeling after his pre-season performance that he would make the team; however, nobody said anything to him until the decision was made official on Saturday morning.

With Serge Ibaka expected to miss the beginning of the season, Hartenstein will likely serve as the team's backup center until Ibaka returns.

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