Isaiah Hartenstein’s struggles spell trouble for the New York Knicks

The New York Knicks need Isaiah Hartenstein back and completely healthy, that much is clear. Hartenstein has done an impressive job of filling in for Mitchell Robinson as the Knicks’ starting center since Robinson underwent ankle surgery in December. But the seven-footer injured his Achilles tendon at some point in February. If he doesn’t get healthy soon, the Knicks season could be in jeopardy,

Knicks’ Hartenstein starts season strongly

Hartenstein looked like a borderline All-Star in January, putting up incredibly impressive stats — and having an even bigger impact on the Knicks’ success. Since January 1, he’s collected the ninth-most rebounds and the 26th-most blocks in the NBA. And that includes poor play since aggravating his Achilles tendon in early February.

Despite no longer appearing on the team’s injury report, Hartenstein’s Achilles remains an issue. He admitted as much following Thursday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors.

“I could have probably sat out a couple more weeks,” Hartenstein told SNY’s Ian Begley

Isaiah Hartenstein said he came back early from Achilles injury – “I probably could have sat out a couple more weeks” – both to help NYK win & because he’s confident that ramp-up plan will have him ready to play 30+ min in playoffs without out issue: pic.twitter.com/3Fjo6CpWjn

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 1, 2024

How much has Hartenstein struggled since his injury?

While Hartenstein is confident in the team’s plan to re-acclimate him over time, he’s struggling right now. And that’s costing the Knicks wins.

Over his last five games, Hartenstein is averaging only 5.6 points on 3.2 field goal attempts per game. He’s also grabbing just 5.4 rebounds and accruing less than half a block in just 20.2 minutes per game. Comparatively, he averaged 8.3 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 31.8 minutes per game across 14 games in January.

In his eight games played in February, Hartenstein averaged his first negative +/- since joining the starting lineup — after averaging +19.1 in January.

His general impact on New York’s defense is also clearly impacted by his injury and its effect on his athleticism and mobility. After posting an NBA-best defensive rating in January (98 points allowed per 100 possessions, minimum 10 games played), Hartenstein posted a below-average defensive rating in February (115). In fact, if Hartenstein’s defensive rating was as bad for the entire season as it was in February, it would be tied for 359th in the league.

And Hartenstein’s poor play has coincided with a bunch of Knicks’ losses. Granted, New York is dealing with more than just Hartenstein’s injury. Specifically, they’re awaiting the return of All-Star Julius Randle and Defensive Player of the Year candidate OG Anunoby. But still, wins have been difficult to come by since the seven-footer’s injury.

The Knicks were 14-2 in January when Hartenstein (and the rest of the team) were generally healthy. They were 4-8 in February, with Hartenstein missing four games and seeing a precipitous drop in minutes played beginning on February 8.

Generally speaking, Hartenstein allows the Knicks to successfully match up with some of the better big men in the league. And he provides offensive versatility that few centers offer. But he has to be healthy.

Hartenstein’s impact is on the Knicks is clear. But he hasn’t been himself in a while. And an injured Hartenstein doesn’t cut it. 

So, New York is in the precarious position of choosing between resting a key contributor for the playoffs and possibly losing games and hoping their center gets healthy while continuing to play. Neither option is great. But one thing is clear, the Knicks need a healthy Hartenstein to compete.