3 Knicks players that will benefit from the Isaiah Hartenstein free agency signing

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Derrick Rose, New York Knicks. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

2: Derrick Rose

While there is still a possibility that he may be traded, it seems as though the Knicks front office is content with keeping Derrick Rose and letting him run the bench offense for another year. It’s a safe bet as long as Rose remains healthy, as he was a major contributor to their playoff run in 2021.

Hartenstein’s finishing talents should also benefit Rose, but his ability to space the floor should provide an even greater boost to the veteran point guard.

While it’s still too early to classify him as a ‘stretch 5’, Hartenstein made a clear effort to expand his range. He shot 46.7% from three this past season, although he only attempted 30 shots from behind the arc.

Even if that doesn’t translate next year, he still has a serviceable floater/push shot that can cause defenders to back off on drives and allow wider lanes for Rose to get to the basket.

Hartenstein is an elite paint scorer, but one of his most underrated attributes is his passing. In fact, he ranked within the top 6 amongst all centers in assists per 36 minutes, assist %, and assist ratio.

Good looks with the no-look pass.@Ipjh55 ➡️ @terance_mann pic.twitter.com/ih4g7S5NcQ
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) March 10, 2022

A 2-man game between Rose and Hartenstein could help the Knicks have the deadliest bench in the entire NBA, constantly keeping defenders on their toes.

Next: The perfect frontcourt partner

New York Knicks</a> made headlines when they acquired former Dallas Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson at the start of free agency, luring the dynamic point guard away from his former team with a four-year, $104 million contract.</p> <p>They also <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/30/3-things-knicks-free-agency-signing-isaiah-hartenstein/">made a smaller splash a few minutes later</a>, signing backup center <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/harteis01.html" ref="nofollow">Isaiah Hartenstein</a> to a two-year, $16 million contract.</p> <p>The seven-footer averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game for the Los Angeles Clippers last year. He played a major role in their unlikely success, as the team went 42-40 despite missing stars such as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for almost all of the season.</p> <p>Hartenstein is slated to be Mitchell Robinson’s backup, as Robinson re-signed with the team on a four-year, $60 million deal on Friday morning.</p> <p>At just 24 years old, Hartenstein is an advanced analytics darling who almost certainly has his best basketball still ahead of him. His addition to the rotation should help New York rack up wins while also getting the best out of his teammates, but here are 3 of those teammates that he should help the most.</p> <h2>3 Knicks players that will profit from Isaiah Hartenstein’s signing in free agency</h2> <h3>3: Immanuel Quickley</h3> <p>Immanuel Quickley has had an impressive first two years in the NBA, and he’ll likely have a larger role with the team next season. This could include running the offense for stretches at a time, which is something that both he and the coaching staff have been working on.</p> <p>One of the biggest improvements from his rookie year to his sophomore campaign was his playmaking, with Quickley nearly doubling his assist average as he went from 2.0 to 3.5 helpers per game.</p> <p>It wouldn’t be outrageous to imagine his passing numbers spiking once again, as Hartenstein’s ability as a low post finisher should set up the rest of the bench with easy assist opportunities.</p> <p>The former 2017 draft pick averaged 16.7 points per 36 minutes, shooting 62.6% from the field while doing so. For context, former backup center Nerlens Noel averaged a mere 5.4 points per 36 minutes while shooting just 53.3% from the floor.</p> <p>As Quickley hones in his playmaking abilities, having an offensive-minded big like Hartenstein will be a perfect fit under the rim.</p> <div class="embed "> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">The floater from the big man.</p> <p>📺 <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://twitter.com/BallySportWest?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@BallySportWest | <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://twitter.com/Ipjh55?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@Ipjh55 <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://t.co/SCZj3jUIMd">pic.twitter.com/SCZj3jUIMd

<p>— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://twitter.com/LAClippers/status/1511925801502928896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>April 7, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div> <p>Hartenstein averaged <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://www.nba.com/stats/players/roll-man/?SeasonType=Regular%20Season&sort=PPP&dir=1&CF=GP*G*50:POSS_PCT*G*15%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.26 points per possession</a> this past season as a roller in pick & roll scenarios, ranking just behind All-Stars Jarrett Allen and Rudy Gobert. His incredible efficiency around the rim combined with Quickley’s improved passing should make them a formidable bench duo.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> A sixth-man finalist </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_130033" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-130033" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F07%2F1355152379.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Derrick Rose" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/07/1355152379.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/07/1355152379-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Derrick Rose, New York Knicks. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h3>2: Derrick Rose</h3> <p>While <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/30/knicks-jalen-brunson-free-agency-signing-cost-new-york-fan-favorite/">there is still a possibility that he may be traded</a>, it seems as though the Knicks front office is content with keeping Derrick Rose and letting him run the bench offense for another year. It’s a safe bet as long as Rose remains healthy, as he was a major contributor to their playoff run in 2021.</p> <p>Hartenstein’s finishing talents should also benefit Rose, but his ability to space the floor should provide an even greater boost to the veteran point guard.</p> <p>While it’s still too early to classify him as a ‘stretch 5’, Hartenstein made a clear effort to expand his range. He shot 46.7% from three this past season, although he only attempted 30 shots from behind the arc.</p> <p>Even if that doesn’t translate next year, he still has a serviceable floater/push shot that can cause defenders to back off on drives and allow wider lanes for Rose to get to the basket.</p> <p>Hartenstein is an elite paint scorer, but one of his most underrated attributes is his passing. In fact, he <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://www.nba.com/stats/players/advanced/?sort=AST_PCT&dir=-1&Season=2021-22&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&PlayerPosition=C%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranked within the top 6</a> amongst all centers in assists per 36 minutes, assist %, and assist ratio.</p> <div class="embed "> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">Good looks with the no-look pass.<a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://twitter.com/Ipjh55?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@Ipjh55 ➡️ <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://twitter.com/terance_mann?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@terance_mann <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://t.co/ih4g7S5NcQ">pic.twitter.com/ih4g7S5NcQ

@Ipjh55 ➡️ <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://twitter.com/Holla_At_Rob33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@Holla_At_Rob33 <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/03/3-knicks-players-benefit-isaiah-hartenstein-free-agency-signing/2/"https://t.co/fX6IFOgiI0">pic.twitter.com/fX6IFOgiI0

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