The thing I think we are all forgetting is that MDA is known for running really light practices . Hard to showcase yourself when the opportunity is limited
After Yao were gone (yes, it's that long ago!), we had not had a full-time starting center until Capela grew into one. (Okay maybe until Dwight if you count that experiment.) Even then, we continued to play PF and even SF at the 5 a great deal of times because all our backup centers are old-ass semi-retired dudes.
The more you are honest with yourself, the more you realise Dwight could do what an optimized Clint does but at a quarter of the effort with his ego set aside. Hartenstein would probably have helped in the playoffs against the Warriors....
Just saying that Gary himself has had plenty of chances, Summer League, G-Leauge, showed nothing. I dont think all practices are necessarily light, one of the beat writers Salman Ali on his podcast talked about how its not just one coach making the decision and evaluating players, so if Gary is not playing I just dont think its because his potential is being held back. Im gonna be irritated if Harty doesnt play though hahs,
I never understood the hate either. Its so weird how people judged him so harshly, He was Finals MVP of a championship team. What more was there to prove? Maybe he can be allowed more shooting opportunities to show what he can bring offensively. He can shoot you know.
I wonder if Hart could make the playoff rotation. Would MDA play 3 actual centers? He really has to ball out if he wants to earn MDA's trust long term. I'm pulling for him. You can't teach heart and hustle and we need both. Hopefully he can connect on a few 3's. Honestly that's the quickest way for him to earn more minutes and gain MDA's respect. Take and make 3's Harty. Show MDA that you are willing and able to let it fly. Pull up on a fast break if you have to. It's the only way that you will remain in the rotation.
Whoever is producing more out of TC and IH should get the bulk of back up minutes. I like how both of them are playing so it's a win-win.
He had good defensive numbers in limited time last year too (along with Clark) MDA stopped playing him because he’s not good on offense and can’t shoot . He played him the other night because he didn’t have a choice Until Hartenstein starts bombing 3’s his place in the rotation is tenuous at best
MDA needs to empower Hartenstein. He can clearly shoot the 3, but he is probably scared he will be benched. Stop throwing Hartenstein lob passes and passes at he knees, He needs to pick n pop like Brook Lopex, Aron Baynes or Myers Leonard.
I think people fall back on the word "hate" too frequently as a means of downplaying legit criticism. At least in my case, I'm not a "hater" of anyone, but I can tell you until last night, as a legit "hater" of overuse of small ball (not a guy, but a system), I would have still preferred more small ball than IH short of absolutely need/last ditch effort. I knew/know IH has it in him, just not sure it would ever come out in an NBA game, or at least for the next few years. And I'm still not 100% sold - I think other teams will learn to target him on the perimeter when he gets switched onto guards/strong perimeter players. But I'm super stoked the last ditch effort worked for at least one game, and I hope it REALLY helps him mentally keep it going and get over a bad stretch much more quickly. But up to this point he's been a below average rebounder, has gotten exposed defensively, struggled to catch passes in the paint, and generally had a deer in the headlights look pretty consistently. It's the last part, 70% mental, that made me hang on to hop, but it was up to him mentally. In some ways, I think this was a great opponent for him. Sure, KAT is a great offensive player. But he has a tendency to mope, not play well against the Rockets, and I actually feel somewhat better with IH against offensive bigs than in a rotating, switching defense, where he has to overthink and will get exposed from a lateral quickness perspective. We shall see going forward - very hopeful, not sold on regular rotation minutes yet though. If dude could legit hit threes at his G League %s, it woudl go as far as allowing MDA to even run Clint/IH lineups in the future - not that he ever will, but it'd at least be possible. Throw IH in PJ's corner role, then benefit from double size/rebounding on the interior. Heck, you could theoretically run Clint/IH/Tucker frontcourt lineups (IH and Tucker in opposite corners).
Yeah, the comment and twitter post goes to 70%+ of IH issues over the last 12 months or so. He's confused on the court about what he should/shouldn't do. And to his credit... it's not easy. Go out, free flow, throw up shots, etc, etc and he'll get yanked, he's on a short leash. MDA has and will always have a longer leash for guards. So it's a little bit easier for a Clemons to come in and throw em up.... BUT... Clemons also took it upon himself. He comes in with a IDGAF attitude (probably due to his size all his life), and he doesn't just chuck, but he chucks while hitting and being relatively efficient. Long story short... last game SHOULD go a long way towards instilling confidence in IH and in MDA's opinion of using him. What he needs next is a game where he goes 4-6 from three, and then keep building on that. If that can happen... then something I thought was a 5% probability at best this year - IH not only becoming a regular rotation member, but an actual valuable one in providing lineup flexibility and a big that can stretch the floor without being a sieve defensively (cough, Ryno) - might actually happen. Not the absolutely key to the Rockets long-term success this year, but something pretty important. If they have to play the Lakers in the playoffs for example, how they going to go small when the Lakers run out a frontcourt of Lebron, Kuzma and AD?
If Isaiah Hartenstein can become like Donatas Motiejunas on offense and defense. That would be special. He is only 21 years old, in NBA years the Centers take longer to develop, like Clint Capela turned the the corner at age 22, drafted at 18 years old. Donatas was a really late bloomer at age 27 he developed into Luis Scola, Hakeem, Kevin McHale post moves. Donatas lateral quickness on defense, rim protection was one of the best.
D-Mo didn't suck, he just got hurt and never recovered the athleticism he had before his back injury. He was never as good as some of his fans were proclaiming, but he wasn't a scrub either. T-Jones is still a better athlete, but just can't seem to put it together. That's why both of them are now overseas.
I really hope Hartenstein develops into a reliable backup center. Chandler has been great defensively, but I don't know if he's got the legs to play every game with the effort he's given us so far. I've been super skeptical that Hart's an NBA player just based on how awkward his game looks. If he could be an Aron Baynes type layer that hustles and hits threes I'd be ecstatic. Also, the MDA hate is ridiculous at this point. People act like we have unlimited minutes to hand out and don't have to worry about wins. Has there even been one player during his tenure that we didn't give time to that has blossomed somewhere else? People were prepared to give him crap when Chriss had a few decent preseason games for the Warriors, as if they didn't see for themselves how craptastic his game was here. Of course it's MDA's fault that Hartenstein isn't a rotation guy at the beginning of his sophomore season.
