Preseason results rarely matter. Coaches go deep into their bench. They rest key players. Intensity is often lacking.
But you can find pertinent trends from these games. Take Isaiah Hartenstein, for instance. The Knicks’ new reserve big man has taken six 3-pointers in two games — he’s made two of them — a sign of his role to come this season. He has the green light to let it fly, after attempting just 30 all of last season.
“I just think when you watch him shoot, he can make enough where the defense is going to honor him,” coach Tom Thibodeau said on Tuesday after practice. “He doesn’t hesitate. We watch him shoot in practice every day, he’s pretty consistent with his shot. When he’s open, his teammates want him to shoot. He’s put a lot of work into it. But he’s got touch. You can see it.”
The 7-foot Hartenstein enjoyed a breakout season for the Clippers last year after bouncing around the league and putting up big numbers in the G-League. Late in the year, after Hartenstein had established himself as a key part of the Clippers’ bench, he was given freedom to shoot from distance, and began to open eyes from beyond the 3-point arc. Coach Tyronn Lue told The Post this summer, he didn’t give Hartenstein enough credit for his jumper. The turn came after top Clippers assistant Jay Larranaga repeatedly lobbied Lue on Hartenstein’s behalf, having seen his shot up close years prior in the G-League. Over the last eight games, Hartenstein hit 9 of 16 attempts from distance.
“Jay Larranaga was a big, big guy who really believed in me, in my shot,” he said.
The Knicks didn’t need much convincing. That jumper was one reason they were so high on Hartenstein, and gave him a two-year, $16 million contract.
“It was something we talked about, especially because giving people like Julius [Randle] more space, being able to space the floor and giving something different than what they had before,” the 24-year-old Hartenstein said.
He added: “When I came to the NBA, they needed me more just to roll and I got put in that little box where that’s all I kind of did. … I think it was real frustrating for me because I know how good I can shoot it. So those years leading up to now, where the Clippers let me shoot a little bit at the end, but now being able to show I can shoot, I’m excited.”
Hartenstein’s touch from deep isn’t the only reason the Knicks were — and still are — so high on him. He’s a quality shot-blocker and adept passer — Hartenstein averaged 2.4 assists in 17.9 minutes per game last season — a player Thibodeau believes can fit in well with the starting unit at times because of his ability to space the floor.
There are, of course, ongoing adjustments being made. The Knicks players aren’t used to a mobile 7-footer who can handle the ball beyond the 3-point arc and create for his teammates. There have been times in the first two preseason games the spacing hasn’t been there on the perimeter.
“I think the last couple of practices we are cutting more so I’m able to pass it more. That was the biggest thing probably the first two games that I couldn’t really show,” Hartenstein said. “Our guys aren’t used to a big being able to pass the ball like that. Me, just talking to Obi, we had a couple passes we’ve done where he’s been cutting more lately. That’s one big thing I can bring.”
After his strong finish to the year with the Clippers, Hartenstein had a few options. The Magic were interested in him. But he was drawn to the Knicks because his skill set was something they lacked in their big men and he didn’t have to worry about being part of a drawn-out rebuild.
“To me it was more about finding somewhere I could help [them] win,” Hartenstein said. “Anytime you have Thibs as a coach, [there’s] no rebuilding phase. That was one thing I knew for sure.
“You see him on the sidelines, that’s not a rebuild. That’s what I was excited about, just having someone I knew for a fact, even if the front office told him, ‘yeah, we want to lose,’ he can’t. It’s not in Thibs’ nature to do that.”
It is, apparently, in his nature to let his new big man let it go from 3-point range.