Isaiah Hartenstein gained a lot of praise and attention last season because of the hard work he did for the New York Knicks.
He was constantly an impressive big man who shut down the offensive of multiple teams.
But Hartenstein admits there is one NBA player who seems to always get past him.
Speaking on the “UrPerspective” podcast, per Legion Hoops, Hartenstein opened up about fellow center Robin Lopez.
Hartenstein said:
“One guy who pisses me off, like I got love for him but I can’t guard him, that I have really trouble guarding is Robin Lopez… I’m just like, ‘Coach, if Robin Lopez is in the game, it’s not going to be good.’”
Isaiah Hartenstein says he can’t guard Robin Lopez:
“One guy who pisses me off, like I got love for him but I can’t guard him, that I have really trouble guarding is Robin Lopez… I’m just like coach, if Robin Lopez is in the game, it’s not going to be good.”
(via… pic.twitter.com/zIf0Vp1Vdn
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 23, 2024
That’s a somewhat surprising answer from Hartenstein because NBA fans haven’t seen much of Lopez lately.
He got his start with the Phoenix Suns back in the 2008-09 season and has played for a number of teams like the Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, and more.
He last played for the Milwaukee Bucks, but only appeared in 16 games.
Lopez was then traded to the Sacramento Kings but was waived in February.
However, that doesn’t matter because every time Hartenstein and Lopez meet on the court, it’s trouble.
Hartenstein really proved a lot last season, averaging 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds for the Knicks.
He was especially valuable when the team lost several big men and Hartenstein helped carry the frontcourt through the playoffs.
Unfortunately for New York, he moved to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the offseason, making that team even deeper and more frightening.
He scares many other teams but there is one player who really freaks out Hartenstein.
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