Knicks Bludgeon the Bulls, Improve to 2-0 in The OG Era
The only people happier than Knicks fans are iHart's agents. Hartenstein will get paid this summer as an unrestricted free agent.
Final Score: Knicks 116 - Bulls 100
Record: 19-15
So, where do we start?
Jalen Brunson was brilliant. Julius Randle continues to play some of the best basketball of his career. OG Anunoby has, somehow, been better than advertised.
Yet, the game ball from the victory over Chicago goes to Isaiah Hartenstein, who deserves top-billing in this post.
The mood around the Knicks nation was somber when it was announced in early December that Mitchell Robinson needed ankle surgery that would sideline him for 8-10 weeks. Then, after it was reported that New York had applied for a disabled player exception, meaning Knicks team doctors believed Mitch Rob would miss the remainder of the season, the vibes went from bad to worse.
How would the Knicks survive without their defensive anchor? Could they score enough without the league's best offensive rebounder?
Incredibly, Hartenstein has stepped into the starting role and exceeded even the loftiest of expectations.
He was everywhere in Wednesday's win. Hartenstein ripped down a career-high 20 rebounds, blocked a career-high five shots and scored 10 points (shooting 4-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from the foul line). In the process, he joined Patrick Ewing and Marcus Camby as just the third Knick in the last 40 years to tally at least 10 points, 20 boards and five swats in a single game.
As I noted in Tuesday's newsletter, iHart has given the Knicks everything they could have possibly hoped for (and then some) since Mitch Rob went down. His willingness to do the dirty work in the trenches has been invaluable to New York.
"Everyone in this league was always a scorer at one time, and I know I can score if I need to," Hartenstein told reporters Wednesday. "But, at the end of the day, I just do what the team needs. I always believed in myself and could play this role. I just go out there and play with confidence."
When asked about his frontcourt mate last night, Randle responded: "I'm impressed with the way he's protecting the rim, to be honest. We're used to Mitch doing that — covering up for our mistakes when we get beat off the dribble. But he's a monster doing that now. And to go up against Drummond and get 20 rebounds, it's not easy. So he's been amazing."
I was higher on iHart than most, crediting Leon Rose with making one of the best value signings in free agency in July of 2022 when NY inked Hartenstein to a two-year, $16 million deal. However, I assumed he'd find ways to contribute off the bench as a backup big. Hartenstein's impact on both ends of the floor since being forced into the starting lineup has been jaw-dropping.
In the 14 games the Knicks have played since Robinson was injured on Dec. 8, Hartenstein is averaging 7.6 points, 10.4 rebounds (including 4.2 per game on the offensive end), 2.5 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.1 steals, while shooting 61.5% from the floor and 70% from the free throw stripe.
The Knicks have outscored their opponents by 83 points in the 451 minutes he's logged over these 14 games. That's the highest plus/minus on the team by far (Randle ranks second at +22).
During this nearly month-long stretch, iHart ranks seventh in the NBA in total rebounds (just behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic) and third in offensive boards. And he is one of only two players (along with Anthony Davis) that has tallied at least 100 rebounds, 25 blocks and 15 steals.
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