Former Chris Paul Teammates for Phoenix Suns to Sign: Isaiah Hartenstein
When the Los Angeles Clippers inked a three-year, $33 million contract extension with Ivica Zubac yesterday, they more or less waved goodbye to breakout big man Isaiah Hartenstein given their tight cap situation.
In his fourth season at the NBA level, significant minutes fell into Hartenstein’s hands while playing for injury depleted Los Angeles Clippers this past year. Like many youngsters on that squad, he took advantage of the opportunity, averaging career highs across the board with 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game.
Reggie Jackson puts it ⬆️
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 15, 2022
Isaiah Hartenstein throws it ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/vKkOP8f2cE
Hartenstein’s numbers from an efficiency standpoint stood out above all else though. The German-American shot 62.6 percent from the field, and even though he put up just 30 shots, he still shot a scolding 46.7 percent from three.
He defends the rim with aggression and hustles for loose balls. He already sounds like an ideal Monty Williams guy, and plays the position Phoenix might be thin at in a few weeks pending a Deandre Ayton departure.
Hartenstein only played 21 games with Paul during their days with the Houston Rockets, but he’s clearly come a long way since then. Phoenix’s taxpayer mid-level exception likely gets him to the desert as a low risk, high reward player.