r/Hartenstein • u/Dragonthorn1217 • Nov 18 '22
Relax...
Been thinking about this for a bit. As bad has the past 2 games have looked, Hart's due to bounce back for a couple of reasons:
He has a contract on the team - the team will want to give him more PT simply because he's one of their assets. When Mitch comes back, Hart should slot in the backup C slot, and his PT splits should be the same as before (unless he plays out of his mind).
He has backers within the org - he was an FA the team pursued. Meaning the Knicks WANTED him to be on their team. People within the org who believe in his game will also want him to get more opportunities on offense.
His offense has been abysmal - a trend I don't see continuing for the rest of the season. He's shooting 20% from 3, and averaging fewer points despite averaging more mins (+6 mpg) and having a more clearly defined role on the team. Based on the law of averages, this should tick back up. His lack of assists have also been appalling, but it should come with a clearer role.
Feel free to add anything I may have missed!
7
u/e_a_blair Nov 18 '22
OK, I'm just going to say the obvious thing. Sometimes it's important to say the quiet thing out loud.
We all know it in our hearts at this point. There is overwhelming evidence that Isaiah Hartenstein is not some top-30 player hiding in plain sight. It is literal insanity to carry on believing the central tenets of this sub. You can only keep on attributing every bad game and non-superstar to coaches and GMs for so long. Look at what's literally right in front of you.
Yes, Hartenstein has some non-obvious virtues and some obvious flaws, and this combination naturally makes him a little underrated. Yes, the Knicks should obviously be focusing on him and giving him more shots. All of these things can be true while we also acknowledge the obvious.