Knicks can counter loss of Isaiah Hartenstein by going small
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and center Isaiah Hartenstein at MSG last April. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
It wasn’t a surprise to the Knicks when Isaiah Hartenstein got an offer above anything they could match and it wasn’t a surprise when he took the deal and agreed to leave New York for Oklahoma City. And maybe it wasn’t a surprise to see almost all of the replacement options signing deals in other locales.
But it also might not be the cause for panic that seems to have settled over the fanbase with the news that one piece of the rotation that seemed on the verge of catching the top teams in the NBA was departing. And that’s because the Knicks may already have the pieces in place to get by without Hartenstein.
Mitchell Robinson already was the starting center before injuries pushed Hartenstein into a more prominent role — and priced him out of the Knicks' salary cap. But chasing marginal talents as a backup center might not be the next best option. In small doses, the Knicks might be able to get by going small.
While Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau treasures rebounding and rim protection, they have used Julius Randle as a small-ball center at times. Although they had just a limited run together, combining Randle with OG Anunoby as a defensive stopper should not only buy the Knicks time, but also give them a different look.
“I do think they can,” said an Eastern Conference scout about the Knicks going small. “I don't think it'll work, necessarily, against the elite, so I don't know how much I love that. The argument for it working is, yes, it should work when OG is playing because he's so versatile and defending all over the place. And there should be somewhere that you can put Randle, you know, and he's used to that. It's not like all of a sudden he's going to be hidden. That's what they're doing with him anyway. So that's not really going to be too much of a change for him because of what OG can do. So I don't think it's even a concern in OG’s mind that he could do it.
“The issue you're going to run into is, we saw OG guarding [Joel] Embiid in that Philly series, and he was very effective, right? So he was super effective, but that was also against a somewhat physically limited Embiid. What is it like when it's against an elite healthy guy, you know, Embiid, [Nikola] Jokic, how does that go?”
The Knicks — like the Raptors before them — have not been hesitant to utilize Anunoby defensively on any player, from a quick point guard to the likes of massive centers like Embiid or Jokic. But a good argument could be made that Hartenstein, and just about every other center in the NBA, have trouble defending the likes of those players who have won MVP awards.
Shortly after Robinson first went down with the ankle injury in December, Thibodeau was asked about playing with a small-ball lineup — and this was before Anunoby’s arrival.
“The thing is, I think, when you’re looking at downsizing, you’re going to give up something,” Thibodeau said. “I think you can do it for a short stretch, but you can’t do it for an extended stretch. Everything is on the table and depending upon who [the opponents] have on the floor will really determine who you have on the floor.”
The Knicks did it with some success with Precious Achiuwa, too, who remains an unrestricted free agent after the Knicks did not tender a qualifying offer. He remains an option to return and the team does have the $5.2 million taxpayer mid-level exception. And they are not without a backup center, having picked up the team option on Jericho Sims for next season.
And the scout pointed out that some of the shortcomings of a small-ball lineup are countered by the Knicks' ability to play bigger at other spots even if it doesn’t measure up that way. He noted that Josh Hart rebounds and defends far above his size and that Donte DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson are excellent at defending or drawing charges.
“I almost think that they were so confident those guys will put their body on the line,” the scout said. “So there's another way to protect the rim — taking charges. And they're just so strong, OG is so strong. Hart is just going to battle and use his strength. And then you know that those other guys are going to slide in there. . . . For however many games in the regular season, it could be all right. I don't think you want Randle and OG playing 20, 25 games at the five in the regular season, right?"
The scout also suggested that veteran frontcourt players like Taj Gibson, Daniel Theis or Tristan Thompson could help the Knicks get through the regular season and then not have much of a role in the playoffs.
The ideal scenario for Thibodeau may have been Robinson and Hartenstein. But as long Robinson can make it through the season without the extended absences that have marked his career too often, the Knicks can still win big while going small.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.