There’s no science behind Isaiah Hartenstein’s career-high rebounding spree.
Hartenstein is averaging 13.5 boards per game since Jan. 1 and 10.7 rebounds per game since starting center Mitchell Robinson’s surgery-inducing ankle injury on Dec. 8.
He has games with 20, 19, 17, 16 and 13 rebounds. His glass-cleaning is no fluke.
It’s also a no-brainer, he said. While some NBA big men take a more tactical approach to crashing the glass, the Knicks’ starting center is more straightforward.
“It’s just really get a body on somebody and then just going up for the rebound. It’s kinda wanting it more,” he said. “There’s not really a science behind it. Just going, get a rebound.”
Hartenstein has also emerged as a premier shot blocker.
He is averaging three blocks over his last four games and tied a career-high with five blocks against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
Hartenstein is averaging 1.8 blocks per game since Robinson’s injury, ranking 13th in all of basketball in rejections during the stretch.
Only three players are averaging either the same number of more blocks than Hartenstein in the new calendar year: San Antonio Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama leads the league with 3.8 blocks over his last four games; Lakers star Anthony Davis checks in under him at 3.3 blocks per game during the same stretch, and Memphis Grizzlies reigning Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. ties Hartenstein’s mark of three blocks a game over the last four games.
Not bad for a player ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith referred to as “some dude named Hartenstein.”
Some dude named Hartenstein may be playing his way into a starting role, which could be an issue for a Knicks team that believes it had the best center depth in all of basketball before Robinson suffered another debilitating injury.
Hartenstein is in the final season of a two-year, $16 million deal.
He wants to be a starter and is thriving in starter’s minutes.
“It’s fun. I think it’s definitely a role that I always envisioned myself being in. But it’s just doing whatever the team needs,” he said after the victory over the Wizards on Saturday. “I think last night, it was maybe more offensively being there, having the ball more, scoring when I need to. And tonight was just rebounding. So I just think whatever the team needs me to do, I think I’m versatile enough to be in any role that Thibs needs for me. I can connect.”
Aside from Hartenstein, the Knicks have three other centers under contract on the roster: Robinson, who is expected to miss the entire season; Precious Achiuwa, who was acquired in the OG Anunoby deal; and Jericho Sims, who Tom Thibodeau initially started after Robinson’s injury.
Sims suffered an ankle injury early into his minutes as a starter and has since been outside of the rotation behind Achiuwa, who is versatile defensively and has shown an ability to knock down a three-point shot.
Robinson is in the second season of a team-friendly four-year, $60 million deal; Achiuwa is in the final season of his rookie contract and will become a restricted free agent come summertime; and Sims is in the second year of a three-year deal.
The Knicks own the team option on the final year of Sims’ deal, which guarantees for the full $2.092 million on July 16.
The Knicks also waived veteran forward Taj Gibson, a difficult decision for an organization that appreciated his veteran presence and ability to connect with the roster’s younger players.
The move was made to give the team more roster flexibility: The Knicks now have an open roster spot and can take more players back in a trade than they send out.
The Knicks are expected to be active approaching the Feb. 8 NBA Trade Deadline, and they have a number of options at the center — though it’s become increasingly clear Hartenstein is the best of the available bunch.
The Knicks will own Hartenstein’s Early Bird rights when he becomes a free agent this summer, which means they can exceed the salary cap to re-sign him for up to 175 percent of his previous salary or 105 percent of the NBA’s average annual salary.
Hartenstein is scheduled to make $9.245 million this season, and 175 percent of that amount, the larger of the two Early Bird figures, would be a $16.178 million Year 1 salary.
With Robinson scheduled to make $14.3 million, that would be upwards of $30 million committed to the center spot — though there are a number of big men who bring in more than that amount in a single season.
Reigning MVP Joel Embiid is one of those centers after signing a four-year, $213 million extension with an average annual value of $53.3 million.
Hartentein helped keep Embiid in relative check in a blowout victory over the Sixers in Philadelphia.
And given Robinson has missed extended time in almost every season of his six-year career, it’s clear the Knicks need to keep Hartenstein as an insurance policy, even though he’s proven he’s far more than that.
He is a starter who has been playing the backup role.
