Jericho Sims, Isaiah Hartenstein will try to fill void left by Mitchell Robinson
Knicks center Jericho Sims grabs a rebound against the Raptors during the first half of an NBA game Jan. 6 in Toronto. Credit: The Canadian Press via AP/Cole Burston
ATLANTA — As the Knicks readied to face the Hawks in the first test of life without Mitchell Robinson — what is expected to be at least a month-long process — Jericho Sims started at center Friday night. But for the Knicks, it won’t be one person who tries to fill the 7-1 hole in the middle of the team’s defense.
Sims, who most replicates Robinson’s skill set as a shot- blocker and leaper around the rim, got this assignment. But Isaiah Hartenstein certainly will be in the mix, having started seven games at center this season.
“It’s unfortunate, but it’s part of the game,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Next guy get in there, get the job done. Obviously, you don’t replace a guy like Mitch individually. You have to do it collectively. Everyone’s got to pitch in, get it done.”
It’s a big ask because the Knicks haven’t been getting much from either of the backup centers.
Sims was out of the rotation until Robinson was injured in the first quarter Wednesday against Washington. He suffered a fractured right thumb that required surgery and won’t be reevaluated for three weeks.
Hartenstein has struggled to replicate the performance that prompted the Knicks to sign him to a two-year, $16 million contract as a free agent in the summer. He was the primary starter earlier this season when Robinson was sidelined for eight games with a sprained ankle. But since returning to the bench on Nov. 21, he has shot just 43.9% from the floor and 23.5% from beyond the arc.
The numbers have gotten worse since New Year’s; he’s shooting 35.5% overall and missed his only two attempts from three-point range. But he hopes that with increased minutes, he can find his rhythm.
“I’m just going to do whatever Thibs needs me to do, just getting back more in rhythm,” Hartenstein said after the morning shootaround at State Farm Arena. “I think there was certain stuff where I probably missed stuff I normally make, and I think that might help me just get back in rhythm, so it’s not like stuff where I have to — things I know I can do, stuff I know I can do, so I think that’ll help definitely.”
Hartenstein’s role has changed from his time with the Clippers, for whom his passing skill and ability to stretch the floor were coveted traits. At times he will turn to look for a cutter from the top of the key and be left to simply hand the ball off the way Robinson does.
“It’s a combination of stuff,” Hartenstein said. “Some stuff is on me. Some stuff is just maybe I haven’t found the rhythm or the shots I normally get. So it’s all stuff I normally make, so I think there was some maybe mental part where I was maybe a little frustrated, but then I just gotta control what I can control and it’ll come back.
“Just like some missed shots, and maybe overthinking certain stuff. I’m missing open shots, just not going into it. It’s playing more free out there and maybe not overthinking as much, being more myself.”
Whatever Sims and Hartenstein can contribute in their different styles offensively, what Thibodeau hopes is that they can replace Robinson’s defense without a huge drop-off.
“The rim protection for both is excellent,” Thibodeau said. “So that part is great. Isaiah is more away from the basket, can open the floor up with shooting, passing. And then Jericho is relentless, vertical pressure on the rim, movement on the baseline, offensive rebounding, that sort of thing.
“We don’t have to change. Jericho and Isaiah have been in the rotation, and that was one of the things that stood out when we were acquiring those guys was the rim protection. We felt both were capable. That’s an important part of today’s NBA. What Jericho gives you is a little more versatility with his feet. Isaiah, the look is different because it opens up the floor and pulls people away from the basket.”
“Just keep bringing a defensive presence,” Hartenstein said. “I think that’s one thing I’m doing better and better, getting kind of back to where I was before.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
