Can Isaiah Hartenstein Seize the Rockets' Backup Center Role?

Isaiah Hartenstein combined for 28 points and 22 rebounds in his last two games as Clint Capela sat out due to a right heel contusion

There's no doubting Isaiah Hartenstein's talent. 

The 21-year-old center rolled to G League Finals MVP in April with 28 points and 15.7 rebounds per game, and his recent spurt of consistent play has generated numerous highlight-reel moments against NBA competition. Hartenstein is long and springy. He runs the floor with ease. The talent has been present all along. Consistency is a different story.

Extended playing time has eluded Hartenstein for much of 2019-20. The second-year center spent the first 11 games of the season out of Houston's lineup, and he didn't log consecutive contests with over 15 minutes until the Rockets' back-to-back stretch on Dec. 28 and Dec. 29. Houston's deep rotation is partly to blame for Hartenstein's sporadic playing time. Clint Capela and Tyson Chandler hoard center minutes, while P.J. Tucker and Gary Clark are occasionally used as small-ball fives. But Hartenstein isn't completely blameless for his absence from the rotation. He's been bullied inside in spurts by bruising bigs, and Houston has been vulnerable on the offensive glass. Hartenstein's leash is short in Mike D'Antoni's rotation.

The former G League star earned an extended look from D'Antoni and Co. on Saturday and Sunday night. Capela sat out the pair of contests due to a right heel contusion, leaving a significant void in the Rockets' frontcourt. Tyson Chandler can only log limited minutes in his 19th season, and D'Antoni's small-ball options were limited with James Harden and Russell Westbrook out of the lineup on Sunday. Hartenstein tallied 58 minutes for the short-handed Rockets over their last two games, marking the most significant stretch of playing time in his career. The former second-round pick delivered in his expanded opportunity.

Hartenstein gobbled up 13 rebounds while adding nine points in Saturday's win vs. Brooklyn, and he followed-up the solid effort with a career-night against the Pelicans on Sunday. Hartenstein poured in 19 points against New Orleans with nine rebounds, showing off his underrated offensive arsenal. A dip in minutes is on the horizon when Capela returns to the lineup, but Hartenstein's two-game stint should limit his DNP-CD's moving forward.

“Isaiah’s really good, I’m really happy for him," D'Antoni told the media after the Rockets' win on Saturday. "If he can play like that, he definitely can play [more]. Good energy and he’s still young."

Houston couldn't hold on against the Pelicans without either of its two MVPs on Sunday, but the contest provided serious optimism regarding the Rockets' crop of developing youngsters. Danuel House led Houston in scoring–and showed some serious skill attacking the rim–while Chris Clemons continued to impress from long range. But Hartenstein's effort was the most encouraging of all. His athleticism was on full display in New Orleans, highlighted by a reverse jam off a Russell Westbrook miss and a thunderous swat of Lonzo Ball in transition. Hartenstein's wingspan allows him to play above the rim even if he's a notch below Capela as a leaper. He keeps the Rockets' vertical spacing intact without their starting center.

Hartenstein isn't just a rim runner, either. He showed deft touch on flip shots and hooks outside the restricted area on Sunday, and he's impressively nimble on the pick-and-roll. His vision is middling, though he's a serviceable passer in a crowd. The bones of a quality rotational center are there, albeit not always evident on the wrong night.

Limiting the rough performances will dictate Hartenstein's playing time as the postseason approaches, and the young center should have increasing opportunity barring an acquisition on the trade market. D'Antoni isn't asking Hartenstein to play outside his skill set. The tasks of a Rockets' center are simple: screen hard, run the floor and attack the glass with abandon. Hartenstein has the talent to accomplish all three with aplomb. Can he deliver on a nightly basis? The answer will swing his sophomore season.

"I’ve got to know what I’m going to get when I put [Hartenstein] in there," D'Antoni said. "So, hopefully, he can get to that point."