The Houston Rockets are in need of frontcourt options, so it could be time for the 20-year-old Isaiah Hartenstein to join the rotation.
The Houston Rockets are a team that is on the verge of competing for its first NBA Finals appearance since 1995 but still need to fill out parts of the roster to fulfill this vision.
One area where there is a great deal of uncertainty is the center position where Clint Capela has yet to re-sign and the Rockets have no formidable starting centers under contract.
After missing out on signing one of the big superstars that made up this summer’s free agent class, the Rockets turned their attention to making the team younger.
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They parted ways with seasoned veterans Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute in favor of Michael Carter-Williams and James Ennis, two players still in their 20s with a hunger to play for a contender.
With the supporting backcourt pieces in place behind Chris Paul and James Harden, the Rockets will now turn their attention to re-signing Capela and adding support from the bench who can contribute when he is not on the floor.
One player who could step up and finally see major minutes for the team is German 7-footer Isaiah Hartenstein.
Hartenstein was originally drafted by Houston in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft but has yet to suit up for the team.
Instead, he has spent time with the Rockets G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where he was a regular contributor to a team that made the playoffs in his first season with the team.
With the Vipers, Hartenstein played in 38 games and averaged 18.7 minutes per game for the team. He scored 9.5 points per game, pulled down 6.6 rebounds per game and added 1.1 blocks per game thanks to his freakish wingspan.
He also contributed during the Valley Vipers’ G League playoff run with 7.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in the team’s two games.
Houston Rockets
According to the Houston Chronicle, Hartenstein’s performances have caught the eye of Rockets management and the team is looking to sign him to a deal so he can compete for a spot in the rotation.
His ability to protect the rim on defense and run the floor in the fast break could make him a perfect fit in Mike D’Antoni‘s system.
He showed just how much he improved during this past NBA Summer League campaign as he began to develop chemistry with other young Rockets players. He started in four games for the team and averaged 10.3 points and 8.0 rebounds on 52.2 percent shooting from the field.
He also averaged 2.3 blocks, making him one of the most lethal rim protectors in Summer League.
If the Rockets do end up signing Hartenstein to a contract, he’ll immediately be in the conversation to come off the bench as the team’s backup center.
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Hartenstein’s has been a pleasant surprise for Rockets fans and at just 20 years of age, he could definitely blossom into a formidable NBA center as he starts to get a feel for the speed of the NBA game.