The New York Knicks' medical drama began in December when starting center Mitchell Robinson went down with an ankle injury. In his absence, New York has enjoyed the efforts of second-year Knick Isaiah Hartenstein, who has filled in serviceably over the past two-plus months.
Hartenstein himself wasn't immune to injury, as he missed a few games in January and February with a sore Achilles but he's starting to move back to his usual workload. Between that ramp-up and Robinson's potential return, questions about Hartenstein's minutes could surface.
In listing improvements for the Knicks' upcoming playoff run, the latest from Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report suggested more minutes for (a presumably healthy) Hartenstein.
"The do-it-all center has masterfully provided exactly what New York needs from him, but he still has more to give," Buckley said of Hartenstein. "His 24.9 minutes might be a career-high, but the Knicks should find ways to get him more floor time."
"Even if the Knicks get Robinson back, this strategy should be in play. That would help New York take advantage of all that Hartenstein has to offer while also not throwing too much too fast at Robinson, whose December ankle surgery was initially thought to be season-ending."
Hartenstein, pulling in a career-best 8.3 rebounds a game, hasn't played more than 30 minutes in over a month, but there's no doubt he's played a major role in the team's success this season. The Knicks have posted a 13-5 record in the 18 games where Hartenstein has played at least 30.
In Thursday's 105-93 win over Portland, for example, Hartenstein was tied with Jalen Brunson for a team-best plus-17 when he was on the floor and he pulled in nine rebounds, Health, however, will be the largest factor, but there's just enough time left on the regular season docket for him to develop a rhythm.
Hartenstein and the rest of the Knicks will be back in action on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings (10 p.m. ET, MSG).
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