Knicks' Tom Thibodeau details plan to replace Isaiah Hartenstein

09/17/2024 02:00 PM

Injuries have hit the New York Knicks hard in recent years. Still, the Knicks were able to win 50 games last season for the first time in over a decade, as well as advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in back-to-back seasons for the first time in over two decades. If it wasn’t for their injuries stacking up, Tom Thibodeau may have been coaching the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Now, Thibodeau faces a new challenge entering the 2024-25 season, as the Knicks’ frontcourt took a hit this summer when Isaiah Hartenstein departed in free agency.

Hartenstein stepped up in the absence of Mitchell Robinson, and he became one of the Knicks’ most important players. As a result, his value increased, and New York faced the hard scenario in free agency where they couldn’t pay everyone. OG Anunoby received a max-level contract, and Jalen Brunson also accepted a smaller contract extension to help the team with their long-term costs. Unfortunately for the Knicks, they ultimately ran out of room to keep Hartenstein, which is why the big man opted to sign a three-year, $87 million deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Knicks’ plan to replace Isaiah Hartenstein

With Hartenstein gone, the Knicks now have serious questions to answer in their frontcourt. Robinson is an impactful center, but health has been a concern for him the last few seasons, as the Knicks’ starting big man has only played in 90 games over the last two years. Julius Randle is coming off shoulder surgery, and Jericho Sims is a young player that hasn’t really proven himself yet on the court in New York. The good news is that the Knicks did re-sign Precious Achiuwa, who stepped up at times last season.

Replacing Hartenstein will not be easy, which is why Thibodeau recognizes this challenge that lies ahead. Recently, the Knicks head coach spoke with Steve Aschburner of NBA.com about the team heading into the 2024-25 season, and Thibodeau revealed his plan for the center position without Hartenstein.

“We went through that last year. We started the season where Mitchell was the starter and he was off to a monster start,” Thibs told Aschburner. “When he went out, Jericho Sims started initially, then he got hurt. Then Isaiah came in and did what he did. But when he got hurt, Precious [Achiuwa] came in along with Taj Gibson. So we rotated guys at that position the entire year.”

In regards to Randle and his role with the Knicks, Thibodeau mentioned that it is possible the All-Star forward sees time at the center position in some smaller lineups.

“We'll probably have to do it by committee. We'll look at some different things, because we have versatility — we could see Julius 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.”

The 2024-25 NBA season is going to be important for the Knicks, especially after making championship-worthy moves in the offseason. Despite losing and sacrificing Hartenstein in free agency, the Knicks were able to retain Anunoby as well as trade for rising star Mikal Bridges. Alongside Brunson, Randle, and other former Villanova teammates that he won a national championship with, Bridges could be the missing link in the Knicks’ quest for a championship.

It is never easy to replace a valuable player like Hartenstein, especially after he started at the center position for the Knicks for the vast majority of the season. At the same time, Thibodeau has won the NBA’s Coach of the Year award two different times for a reason. The Knicks have one of the best coaches in the league when it comes to scheming, and their roster is one of the best on paper.

If there is one thing we know about the Knicks heading into the 2024-25 season, it is that they are right there with the Boston Celtics in terms of being legitimate threats to make the NBA Finals.

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