Isaiah Hartenstein initially thought he would continue to blossom with the New York Knicks as he felt wanted. After initial success in October, when he averaged nearly a double-double (9.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks), Hartenstein saw his role shrink.
Nowadays, Hartenstein is limited to backup minutes even when starting center Mitchell Robinson is out. He’s been playing away from his comfort zone, the high post, as New York coach Tom Thibodeau wants him to mimic Robinson’s rim-diving style to collar offensive rebounds.
Since Thibodeau shortened his rotation to nine on Dec.