As crushing as the Mitchell Robinson news may be, as difficult as it is to fathom that the Knicks will be without their defensive anchor until March, there is one positive.
They have been here before.
They lost Robinson — who underwent left ankle surgery Tuesday and will be evaluated in 8-10 weeks — for an extended period of time last year, too.
And the man who will have the most responsibility to help fill that void is prepared for the opportunity that will come his way.
“I’ve always been ready for this opportunity. I think I’ve shown I can be in this role,” Isaiah Hartenstein said. “At the end of the day, we are going to miss Mitch a lot. But I’m ready — I’m ready for whatever [coach Tom Thibodeau] has in mind for me. … Last season, half of the games I would finish games. I’m used to this role, so I’m excited for it.”
In the first game without Robinson, Thibodeau opted to start Jericho Sims over Hartenstein even though Hartenstein played more minutes and finished the game.
It was similar to what he did last year when Robinson missed time.
The coach prefers to keep the second unit intact, which is fine with Hartenstein — who had 11 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two assists across 27 strong minutes in Monday’s win over the Raptors.
“It doesn’t matter to me. To me, it’s really just about finishing the game,” he said. “That’s the most important thing. Whatever coach wants me to do, I’m ready.”
Hartenstein is having a strong season — averaging 5.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 18.0 minutes per game.
The Knicks are outscoring the opposition by 4.2 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor, and his defensive rating of 109.5 is tied with Immanuel Quickley for the best on the team among rotation players.
His offensive rebounding percentage (14.1) is seventh in the NBA among players averaging at least double figures in minutes.
“I’m confident in my abilities,” Hartenstein said. “I definitely think I can step in and play this role.”
Quickley (right knee inflammation) is questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Jazz to tip off a five-game road trip. Thibodeau said the fourth-year guard has been dealing with some soreness.
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