When Mitchell Robinson went down to injury, coach Thibodeau announced that Isaiah Hartenstein would continue as the backup center, a role in which he felt he would be more effective within the second unit.
Despite initial doubts from fans and the media, Hartenstein’s impressive combined +36 plus/minus during those first two games supported Thibs’ strategic choice. Subsequently, when Jericho Sims went down to injury just two games into that gameplan, Thibodeau found his hands tied and was forced to revert away from his original idea and entered Ish into the starting rotation.
Through his first five games as the Knicks starting center, Hartenstein’s efficiency immediately declined.