Waiving players from a team is typically a sign of believing that you don't see this type of player fitting on a team in the long run. Often this decision could be a risk, as you may not realize their true potential. This is what happened with the Houston Rockets waiving away NBA prospect and current New York Knicks big man Isaiah Hartenstein.
Isaiah Hartenstein's scouting report
Standing at 7 feet tall and hailing from the Artland Dragons in Germany, Isaiah Hartenstein was drafted 43rd overall by the Rockets in the 2017 NBA draft. He was subsequently assigned to the G-League, where he played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
In his debut season, Hartenstein averaged 9.5 points and 6.6 rebounds in 38 games. A versatile left-handed player, this German athlete could excel both as a power forward and as a center. His remarkable 7-foot-2 wingspan made him a formidable shot blocker and an adept passer for deep plays. He also displayed proficiency in the pick-and-roll game, functioning effectively as a screen roller.
Before making his NBA debut, Hartenstein exhibited a delicate touch around the rim and possessed an excellent shooting stroke for a player of his stature. However, he faced challenges on the court, struggling to manage his emotions and experiencing inconsistency in his release point. Despite his talent as a passer, turnovers posed a significant issue for him, and he often encountered difficulties in making quick decisions. These challenges persisted during his G-League career, where he averaged 3.1 turnovers from 2018 to 2020 across 40 total games.
The James Harden era
The Rockets at the time were in the heyday of the James Harden era. With Chris Paul, Clint Capela, Trevor Ariza, and PJ Tucker rounding out the starting lineup, the Rockets went 118-46 as a team from 2017-2019, going deep into the playoffs.
Hartenstein spent his early years in and out of the G-League but never sustained a spot in the rotation. Players such as Kenneth Faried, Tyson Chandler, Nenê, and Luc Mbah a Moute took the majority of the minutes. This left the young center out of a significant roster spot, unable to receive key opportunities to improve his strengths and weaknesses at the NBA level.
Throughout his stints in his second year in the G-League, Hartenstein slowly exhibited signs of dominance, including a triple-double performance of 12 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists. In addition to this stat line, he recorded 33 points including eight three-pointers in the series-clinching win as the Vipers won the G-League Championship.
The trade heard 'round Houston
Trying to make another crack with the Rockets in the 2019-2020 season, Hartenstein stopped at another roadblock. While it was his best season consisting of averaging 4.7 points and 3.9 rebounds, this would be his last chance in Houston to receive rotational minutes.
At the trade deadline, the Rockets went through major lineup changes, trading away their starting center in Clint Capela, and rotational player Nene in a four-team trade to the Atlanta Hawks.
This move inevitably concluded the end of Hartenstein's uneventful tenure with the Rockets, as Mike D'Antoni decided to utilize a full-time smallball lineup. For starters, a 6-foot-5 PJ Tucker took over the center duties. The tallest player on the 2019-2020 Rockets after the trade deadline was Danuel House Jr., sitting at 6-foot-7. A 7-foot center in Hartenstein with an underdeveloped jump shot at the NBA level was not accepted by the team with one of the most three-point attempts in the NBA. Consequently, he was waived by the team.
Unable to recover
Going smallball was due to the lack of offensive consistency between James Harden and Russell Westbrook's spacing. To have a the inefficient shooting of Westbrook coupled with the lack of shooting in Clint Capela made the Rockets extremely vulnerable at the three, which was their motto during the D'Antoni era. Surrounding Westbrook with a bunch of shooters and undersized bigs who could space the floor was believed to be the right move at the time. Unfortunately, we all know how this panned out.
The move to waive Isaiah Hartenstein because of this change of play created a domino effect for the Rockets in retaining a young versatile center with defensive potential. While they did have chances following the Harden era in Christian Wood, Marquese Chriss, and Bruno Fernando, none of them proved to be what Houston was looking for at the time. Plus, Wood's chemistry with the team and the front office started to grow sour over time.
Young journeyman
For Hartenstein, the German center continued to improve his game as he went to the Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Clippers, and now the New York Knicks. His time with the Clippers in the 2021-2022 season is where he really cemented his skillset at the NBA level. Through 68 games, he averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks, shooting 62.6% from the field on 5.4 attempts across 17.9 minutes.
He also worked on taking more care of the basketball, averaging just around 1.2 turnovers. While he hardly ever shot the three-ball in his NBA career, Hartenstein made 14 out of 30 attempts this season, attune to a field goal of 46.7%.
This rather mini-breakout to his career showcased a preview of what he could really do, given the opportunities. That was with the Knicks.
Signing a two-year, $16 million contract with the Knicks as the backup center to Mitchell Robinson, Hartenstein continued to stick around, averaging 19.9 minutes on five points while increasing his rebounds average to 6.5 rebounds in all 82 games last season.
With Tom Thibodeaux at the helm, the Knicks prioritized gritty, hard-nosed defense as their primary goal. This required Hartenstein to change his game and prioritize defending the paint over offense, which he fulfilled to perfection. When he and Robinson shared the court together, they became a rather formidable force in the paint, combining for 2.5 blocks a game.
Hartenstein moved to the starting lineup
In his second season, Hartenstein has played his best brand of basketball on the defensive end. With the potrntial season-ending loss to Robinson due to ankle surgery on December 8, this put Hartenstein in the drivers seat, becoming the Knicks starting center. Since taking over, the 25-year-old has averaged 11.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.7 blocks, playing to his athletic strengths as an evolution to the traditional style big man.
Hartenstein continues to increase his averages into the next calendar year, averaging 13.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 2.2 blocks. His plus-minus totals over his last five games consist of +10, +32, +26 (twice), and +31. His play, along with the acquisition of OG Anonuby, has translated the Knicks into one of the premier playoff teams in the Eastern Conference. Knicks fans adore the German center from Oregon. Even though he is on an expiring deal, it's likely that the Knicks will consider re-signing the 25-year-old due to Robinson's health issues.
What could have been
It would have been nice to somehow find a way to keep Hartenstein in Houston.
Sometimes you waive a player that doesn't quite fit a gameplan change in order to adhere to two MVPs. But if you're facing a prime LeBron and Anthony Davis-led Lakers team with a bunch of size, expect to get burned inside. Not to say keeping Hartenstein would have changed anything, but the current Rockets are still suffering from the repercussions that occurred four years ago, failing to acquire a quality center to back up a rising star in Alperen Sengun.
Had the Rockets kept Hartenstein throughout the end of the Harden era into this new era of Rockets basketball, we may not be seeing a glaring issue the Rockets currently face with the lack of depth on their roster.
When you search “Isaiah Hartenstein” on Google, the first thing displays his 2018 media day photos donning a Rockets uniform. How fitting.
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