New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau recently addressed the challenge of replacing Isaiah Hartenstein, who signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in July.
In an interview with NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner, Thibodeau detailed his approach to filling the void left by the 7-footer.
Aschburner asked how the team would manage Hartenstein’s departure, noting his role in stepping in for injured Mitchell Robinson last season.
Thibodeau responded, “We went through that last year. We started the season where Mitchell was the starter and he was off to a monster start.”
He continued, “When he went out, Jericho Sims started initially, then he got hurt. Then Isaiah came in and did what he did.”
Thibodeau added, “But when he got hurt, Precious Achiuwa came in along with Taj Gibson. So we rotated guys at that position the entire year. We’ll probably have to do it by committee.”
He also mentioned potential adjustments, saying, “We could see Julius [Randle] more at the 5. I don’t want to do that for long stretches, it would take its toll, but to have him do it for 10 or 15 minutes, I think he can do it well. He also would create a lot of [offensive] advantages.”
Last season, Hartenstein averaged 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 25.3 minutes per game.
