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The New York Knicks are playing great basketball right now because they have multiple stars who are performing at a high level, and that is what makes them such a true force in the Eastern Conference.
One star who doesn’t get discussed that often is Isaiah Hartenstein, the power forward/center who has improved his game and his role within the team a lot this year.
On “The Old Man & The Three,” JJ Redick and Tim Legler praised Hartenstein.
Redick called him one of the best NBA players, while Legler said that he’s a supremely talented role player who just doesn’t have bad games.
Isaiah Hartenstein has been playing incredible basketball these last few months.
Full deep dive of the first round of the #NBAPlayoffs with @jj_redick and @LegsESPN: https://t.co/j6kcazCLtp pic.twitter.com/W9e9rc0esN
— TheOldMan&TheThree (@OldManAndThree) April 25, 2024
Hartenstein came to the Knicks last season and played in 19.8 minutes per game, starting in just eight of those games.
This year, he started in 49 of his 75 games and has been on the floor for an average of 25.9 minutes.
Hartenstein has been called upon by the Knicks a lot more, partly because of a number of injuries that have hobbled the lineup.
But he hasn’t been afraid of the increased demands from his squad and has answered the call.
For the season, Hartenstein has averaged 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, shooting 64.4% from the field.
Those numbers don’t tell the full story, because he is also incredibly important when it comes to defense and tying plays together.
He can read the floor well and communicate clearly and skillfully with his teammates.
Hartenstein has helped out a lot during the first two games of the playoffs, even if his box score hasn’t had eye-popping stats.
Redick noted that Hartenstein isn’t discussed as an MVP candidate or someone who could be on an All-NBA team this year.
But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s become supremely important to the Knicks and might be for the foreseeable future.
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