Knicks Preseason Profile: What Will Isaiah Hartenstein Bring to New York?

The New York Knicks signed Isaiah Hartenstein minutes into free agency this summer. What will the former Los Angeles Clippers big man provide this season?

Jeremy Brener | Oct 11, 2022

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The New York Knicks are looking to return to the playoffs, and if they want to play bonus basketball this season, center Isaiah Hartenstein will likely have to play a key role off the bench.

While he may not have been the team's biggest free agent signee, Hartenstein was the first player the Knicks signed just minutes into this summer's free agency period.

Let's take a look back at what Hartenstein was able to produce last year, as well as what we can look forward to seeing this season.

2021-22 Season Review

Hartenstein enjoyed his best season to date with the Los Angeles Clippers last season: in 68 games, Hartenstein averaged 8.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

He was able to establish himself as a post presence with consistent playing time, something he didn't have with the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, or Cleveland Cavaliers.

On offense, he established himself as a lob threat and someone who can work the pick and roll. Defensively, Hartenstein averaged 1.1 blocks per game, making him an effective rim protector.

2022-23 Season Review

His efforts with the Clippers last season helped him land a two-year, $16 million contract with the Knicks. But Hartenstein is looking to prove that he still deserves to be paid more.

While Hartenstein is expected to back up Mitchell Robinson as the team's big man, he also is looking to expand his game and become a three-point threat.

In the team's preseason opener last week, Hartenstein knocked down two of his three shots from distance. Against the Indiana Pacers two nights later, he only took three-point shots.

Hartenstein only took 30 threes last season, but he made 14 of them, so there's potential for him to become a distance shooter if the Knicks can mold him into one.

It will be up to Hartenstein to find a way to weave this into his game while not sacrificing his post skills that intrigued the Knicks to sign him in the first place.

Knicks Preseason Profiles

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Published Oct 11, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.