Who is Isaiah Hartenstein? Evaluating his career trajectory so far in the NBA

The New York Knicks recently signed Isaiah Hartenstein to a two-year deal worth $16 million. It appears we may have a rags-to-riches story just waiting to make its debut. Hartenstein started out as a bench player who nearly didn't have any playing time. He has recently slowly elevated his game and caught the attention of the league. That said, he saw his value as a player rise significantly higher.

Who is Isaiah Hartenstein?

Isaiah Hartenstein is a 7ft center who was first drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2017. He was the 43rd pick of the second round. During his time with the Rockets, Hartenstein barely saw any playing time. According to Basketball Reference, in his first season, he only played 28 games. In his second season, he played 23 games. He averaged 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in his two seasons as a Rocket.

Isaiah Hartenstein had the same story in the first half of the 2020-21 season when he played for the Denver Nuggets. He averaged the same figures as before. However, the trajectory of his career experienced a sudden paradigm shift when he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second half of the season.

Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff apparently saw the potential in the big man and awarded him with more playing time. While playing for Cleveland, Hartenstein played 17.9 minutes per game in 16 games. Because of that, we saw his true potential come out. His average numbers have significantly increased to 8.3 points, six rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.

As a rookie, we could already see Isaiah Hartenstein's potential as a player. He was able to block some shots, intercept passes, and finish strong coming off the cut. Unfortunately, we weren't able to recognize his game due to the lack of minutes played.

When he finally became a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, that's when everybody witnessed how valuable Hartenstein was on the court. We can somehow compare his game to a young Blake Griffin, just less explosive. Hartenstein would consistently finish lob passes, go for putback dunks, and constantly smother his opponents on defense.

As the 2021-22 season approached, Hartenstein decided to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. From that point on, his career finally took off. According to Basketball Reference, he ended up playing a career-high 68 games. More or less, he averaged the same figures as he did in Cleveland.

According to Real GM, Hartenstein also achieved most of his career highs as a Clipper. His career highs suiting up for the Clippers are as follows:19 points, three steals, and five blocks. In fact, he was also one of the most efficient bench players the team had at the time. Without a doubt, he filled his role as a big man and effectively delivered.

Isaiah Hartenstein signs with the New York Knicks

After performing exceptionally well in Cleveland and LA, it appears Isaiah Hartenstein is ready for bigger opportunities. As much as the Clippers wanted to keep the big man, they couldn't afford what the New York Knicks offered him.

According to SI, Hartenstein signed a two-year deal worth $16 million with the Knicks. While he would've loved to stick around in LA, it was a no-brainer for him to sign a more generous offer.

Hartenstein said: "I think it was a spot where I felt wanted. That was a big thing coming into it, finding a place where, first of all, I can bring something, and I thought I could bring something that they didn't have, to help them win. It's a good situation for me, I think coming in, bringing something different than what they had before."

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There's no question that Isaiah Hartenstein earned his spot in the league. The next question is, can he deliver on what is expected from him in New York? We'll just have to wait and see come the 2022-23 NBA season.