Getty Mitchell Robinson is still the starter.
The New York Knicks are being praised for their offseason pickups of Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein, so much so that it might be coming at the expense of starter Mitchell Robinson.
So far this season, Robinson has started each game for the Knicks, but he’s surprisingly seeing less on-court time than his backup Hartenstein at 24 minutes per game compared to 25.
With the two of them essentially splitting time with each other, it’s clear the Knicks value both of them highly. Hartenstein is somebody who seems like he could be a starter elsewhere, but he’ll settle in as a strong Sixth Man of the Year candidate in New York, at least for the time being.
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz graded the Knicks offseason pickups by giving them an A-, and he notes how “underrated” Hartenstein is.
Hartenstein Over Robinson?
Throughout his time with the Knicks, Robinson has been a fan-favorite and clearly the team’s best rim protector when healthy. The problem has been that he’s not always healthy, and that’s meant the team has had to have a high-quality backup.
In the past that has meant having Nerlens Noel, and now it means having Hartenstein. The former Clippers center was big part of the team’s success, and now he finds himself playing the same role for the Knicks.
Swartz says Hartenstein isn’t being used enough for his playmaking while also calling him “good enough” to be a starter.
“Hartenstein is technically Mitchell Robinson’s backup, even if he’s averaging slightly more court time (25.0 minutes to 24.0) this season,” he wrote. “The 24-year-old is good enough to be a starter and is giving New York 9.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks as a reserve. He’s an underrated passer who hasn’t been featured in playmaking opportunities nearly enough.”
With Robinson signing an extension before the season, it’s tough to imagine him losing his starting job, but it is interesting to see his backup averaging more minutes than him per game to start the season.
This isn’t necessarily an indictment on Robinson, but it could become a battle between the two as the season goes on.
Brunson Gets Love Too
At this point, Knicks fans know how good Brunson has been since coming over from the Dallas Mavericks. He brings a level of playmaking to the point guard position that hasn’t been there in decades, and he’s making the players around him all the better for it.
Swartz is a bit down on him by saying he might never make an All-Star team with New York, but part of that could boil down to how deep the guard position is in the Eastern Conference at the moment.
“Brunson has brought stability to the point guard position, excelling both as a scorer and playmaker while averaging 18.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 7.2 assists and just 1.7 turnovers in his first six games,” he wrote. “He may never be an All-Star in New York, but Brunson has lifted this Knicks offense from 23rd a year ago up to 13th thus far this season.”
While his stats have been very solid to start the year, the Knicks are currently sitting at 3-3, so the team is in line with expectations, but fans were hoping he could provide a bigger lift.