Knicks' Isaiah Hartenstein is making it hard for team to not re-sign him
Isaiah Hartenstein of the Knicks reacts during the second half against the Pacers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
GREENBURGH — This season, without the injured Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks have learned they’ve gotta have Hart(enstein).
But what does next season hold for the club and center Isaiah Hartenstein, who is playing inspired ball and who will be an unrestricted free agent when this season is done?
“It's great timing,” Hartenstein said with a smile after shootaround on Saturday at the Knicks' practice facility. “I can’t lie about that.”
Robinson suffered a left ankle injury on Dec. 8. Including that game, Hartenstein had averaged 31.7 minutes, 8.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 27 games, including 21 starts, entering Saturday night's game against the Lakers.
Hartenstein has never averaged more than the 19.8 minutes per game he recorded for the Knicks last season. Of his 34 career starts (including Saturday), eight came last season and 22 have come this season.
With the Knicks locked into a $60 million contract with the oft-injured Robinson, would there even be money left to re-sign Hartenstein? Or would he prefer to sign somewhere else where he can be a starter from Day One?
“At the end of the day, I love it here in New York,” said Hartenstein, 25. “So the plan would be to stay. But at the end of the day you can't predict what's going to happen, so you just have to go game by game. I love New York. I love the fans. I think it’s something special. And I love winning. I think that's the biggest thing.”
Hartenstein hopes his play is proving that he can be a team’s No. 1 center.
“I feel like I always knew I could be a starter in the NBA,” he said. “Now just proving it with Mitch being out and I know I’m a starter in the NBA.”
Jalen Brunson agrees.
He's playing great,” he said. “Outside of this organization, there was a question mark on, ‘Would he be able to do this?’ All of us believed in him inside this organization, the team, the coaching staff, everything we knew he was capable of, and he's been performing. He's been playing well. He's been just locked in every single night, doing the dirty work and just playing his style of basketball, which has been fantastic. So we knew he was capable of this.”
OG, Grimes out again
OG Anunoby (inflamed right elbow) and Quentin Grimes (sprained right knee) were inactive. It’s the fourth straight missed game for Anunoby and second for Grimes.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
