Isaiah Hartenstein demonstrated what the function may very well be at its peak.
The job because the Knicks’ backup heart — on the time occupying the spot behind an injury-prone Mitchell Robinson on the depth chart — might function a launchpad to an $87 million deal in free company.
To pricing out of the Knicks’ most provide because of the early Chicken rights.
Round this time final 12 months, Hartenstein began stringing collectively the outcomes that may finally translate to his huge payday with the Thunder.
He began his first sport of the 2023-24 marketing campaign on Dec. 20, within the aftermath of Robinson’s damage 12 days earlier, after which held that spot for the remainder of the season, at the same time as Robinson returned after which bought injured once more.
“I kinda felt like I used to be ok to start out most likely more often than not,” Hartenstein stated Friday earlier than returning to the Backyard for the primary time as a member of the Thunder. “I believe we had a luxurious on the time the place we had me and Mitch collectively, so I believe you had two beginning facilities on the identical staff.”
However Hartenstein’s return served as a obtrusive reminder of the Knicks’ urgent dilemma a month earlier than the NBA commerce deadline.
They don’t have that luxurious anymore.
The blueprint that labored for Hartenstein hasn’t turn out to be an relevant script for the following batch of candidates.
Robinson hasn’t performed a second this season — and his timeline for a return stays unclear.
The Knicks patched that downside by buying Karl-Anthony Cities within the preseason, however they don’t have one other Hartenstein ready as a reserve.
If Cities’ knee retains flaring up, they don’t have a reliable choice to plug in seamlessly ought to he miss time and may Robinson not return.
Treasured Achiuwa stays an undersized possibility.
Jericho Sims flashed his potential at instances earlier than falling out of Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.
That is the price of a depth concern.
That is the consequence of shedding somebody resembling Hartenstein, even when the Knicks did every part they might to maintain him.
And that’s what made his first two video games towards the Knicks — the Jan. 3 thriller in Oklahoma Metropolis and the Friday rematch on the Backyard — a brutal mix of what might’ve been, what if and what now for Leon Rose and Co.
Hartenstein, for his half, has thrived with the Thunder, averaging 12.2 factors, 9.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per sport coming into Friday.
His marquee Knicks moments from final season — resembling grabbing the offensive rebound that led to Donte DiVincenzo’s game-winning 3-pointer in Sport 2 of their playoff collection towards the 76ers — become performances resembling Wednesday, when he completed two assists shy of a triple-double.
His model of basketball “brings in wins,” Josh Hart stated Wednesday, “and there’s no shock why when he bought wholesome, bought put into that lineup that they went on a rampant 15-game win streak.
“I imply, you don’t ever need anybody to get damage, however I imply, [Robinson] bought damage at a time and I simply kinda seized the second,” Hartenstein stated of his Knicks likelihood final season. “… It was proper timing, for positive, however I felt like I at all times may very well be in that place.”
He anticipated a mixture of boos and cheers throughout his return to the Backyard.
And when that each one unfolded throughout a timeout within the first quarter, because the Knicks greeted Hartenstein with a brief video, their seek for his substitute continued. Achiuwa has collected 5.6 factors and 5.9 rebounds per sport, however at solely 6-foot-8, the Knicks will at all times face a top drawback when he performs heart.
Sims went from receiving compliments from Thibodeau for “elite” rebounding in October and beginning in December when Cities missed two video games to being out of the rotation altogether.
The Knicks might take this dilemma all the way in which to the deadline.
They might choose to pursue names such because the Wizards’ Jonas Valanciunas, the Hornets’ Nick Richards, the Raptors’ Kelly Olynyk or others, amongst different names, as The Publish’s Stefan Bondy famous earlier this week.
They might determine to maintain rolling with Cities, even amid his lingering knee concern.
On the crux of their concern, they nonetheless haven’t discovered their subsequent Hartenstein.
Their subsequent mission for Thibodeau to mould.
Their subsequent plug-and-play answer.
The subsequent piece whose price might skyrocket to $87 million or another value the Knicks can’t afford to maintain.
And so they’re working out of time.