Isaiah Hartenstein playing through ailing Achilles to help Knicks stay afloat in crowded playoff race
Playing Isaiah Hartenstein more minutes could help the freefalling Knicks, but a nagging Achilles injury has placed the standout center on workload restriction.
Hartenstein played just 20 minutes in the Knicks’ 11-point loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
He skipped Tuesday’s second leg of a back-to-back — the blowout loss to the New Orleans Pelicans — played 27 minutes against the Detroit Pistons, 24 minutes against the Boston Celtics and 11 minutes in the first game out of the All-Star break against the Philadelphia 76ers.
For reference, Hartenstein played 30 or more minutes in 16 of the 19 games between Dec. 15 and Jan. 18.
“I’m still just catching rhythm,” he said after the Warriors game. “I think that’s the biggest thing.”
The minutes restriction came after Hartenstein’s second bout with what the team has called left Achilles tendinopathy. He has missed six games since Jan. 22 with soreness and tightness in his left Achilles and said he has to ramp up to get his body in position to play consistently high minutes at the end of the season.
“I’m more comfortable and just catching my rhythm, I think that’s the biggest thing,” said Hartenstein. “Tonight I felt like some stuff was a little slow, but that will all come with time, so that’s nothing I’m worried about right now.”
Hartenstein said he would have sat out “a couple more weeks” had his team not been in a dogfight in the Eastern Conference standings, but only a game-and-a-half separate No.4 New York from the No. 8 Indiana Pacers.
If the Knicks do not finish the regular season sixth or better, they will have to compete in the sudden-death Play-In Tournament to retain their status as a playoff team.
“There’s urgency every single day. I feel like that was the main thing of me wanting to come back. Just to make sure I’m here for my team,” said Hartenstein. “I probably could’ve sat out a couple more weeks. But to me, I think we found a perfect medium where we’re ramping it up at a good time.”
Hartenstein said he felt some soreness in his Achilles after playing 20 minutes against the Warriors on Thursday.
“But that’s why you ramp it up because it will get better and better,” he said. “That’s where we’re at. We don’t want to spike it up too much at this point. We have a good program in place. It’ll get better. That’s the good thing about it.”
Hartenstein’s minutes will be important even if Mitchell Robinson is able to return to the rotation after undergoing December ankle surgery.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has deployed dual bigs in the absence of both Robinson and Julius Randle (dislocated right shoulder) with Hartenstein starting alongside versatile forward Precious Achiuwa.
The two-big lineup helps the Knicks stay formidable on the glass but doesn’t quite provide the spacing needed to open up the floor.
Hartenstein is one-of-three from downtown on the season and hasn’t attempted a three since Nov. 13. Achiuwa is shooting 25% from three this season but has missed each of his last seven attempts from behind the arc.
And as a result, opposing defenses don’t respect Hartenstein or Achiuwa as three-point threats and thus sag off of them to help on others. This clogs the lane and makes it more difficult for players like Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo to drive to the lane.
Brunson, the leader he is, said it’s on him to play better when spacing is limited.
“Not turn the ball over. Stay confident within myself and not worry about whatever else is happening,” he said after the loss to the Warriors. “Just focus on whatever I can do to help the team win. That’s my main priority, and I didn’t do that tonight.”
Thibodeau said Achiuwa and Hartenstein need to do a better job helping their shooters get open looks.
“We didn’t make shots tonight. So that was the problem to me, they were sagging off them, so there’s things that we can do, in terms of dribble handoff type stuff,” he said. “Because if you’re sagging, the quick dribble handoffs can create an open shot in the pocket for you. So that’s what we have to lock into more.
“I thought the times that we did that, when we played on the pocket, we created good shots for each other. And that’s what we have to continue to do. The one advantage that we have is the rebounding component is key, because when you’re playing big, that’s what you get. That’s where your advantage is, the offensive rebounding, but we have to force the defense to collapse.”
Hartenstein said he’ll be better across the board when his body begins to feel like normal.
“Normally I’m really good in those situations but today wasn’t great,” he said. “It comes with time. I think I just need to get more patience. I think most of my stuff is a step slow in most of the stuff I’m doing right now.”
STANDINGS CHECK
The Knicks enter Sunday’s matchup against the No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers with sole ownership of the Eastern Conference’s No. 4 seed.
Here’s how the standings look below the Knicks in the East as of Saturday afternoon:
- No. 5 Philadelphia 76ers (-0.5)
- No. 6 Orlando Magic (-1.0)
- No. 7 Miami Heat (-1.5)
- No. 8 Indiana Pacers (-1.5)
The 76ers also play the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, and the Orlando Magic play a nine-win Detroit Pistons team.
If the Knicks lose to the Cavs and both the 76ers and Magic win, the Knicks will fall to sixth in the East.
The Indiana Pacers play the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, and the Heat play against the Utah Jazz on Saturday.
The Eastern Conference playoff race is heating up, and with Randle and OG Anunoby (right elbow surgery) out of the rotation due to injury, the Knicks are in danger of plummeting down the standings.
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