PLAYA VISTA — The Clippers gave Isaiah Hartenstein the good news before practice Saturday morning: He’d made the cut.
The deft-passing 7-footer beat out fellow center Harry Giles III for the team’s 15th and final roster spot in what Clippers coach Tyronn Lue described as a difficult decision.
“It was tough because Harry was great. He’s definitely an NBA player,” Lue said. “And we thought Isaiah did a good job as well … he played well, kind of came in and fit in right away with his passing and being able to get guys shots and backdoor cuts for layups and things like that.”
In 2008, Hartenstein moved to Germany, where his father, Florian Hartenstein, played basketball professionally. Isaiah became a decorated player in the German youth ranks before going pro in Europe. Since Houston selected him 43rd overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, the native of Eugene, Oregon, has averaged 4.1 points and 3.3 rebounds through 97 NBA appearances
Now 23, Hartenstein declined an option with the Cleveland Cavaliers – for whom he averaged 8.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in 16 games last season – and elected to sign a training camp deal to compete for a roster spot with the Clippers.
“I have a lot of confidence in myself,” said Hartenstein, who averaged 7.5 points (on 72.2% shooting) to go with 5.0 rebounds. 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals in the preseason.
“I talked with Cleveland, they just had a lot of bigs, so I wanted to play and that was my biggest thing and I think I’m a good center in the NBA. So I didn’t want to be in a situation where I’m on a team that I really had no chance of playing. I mean you’re paying Jarrett Allen – I think it was $100 million – you just drafted a guy No. 3 (USC center Evan Mobley). It’s hard to then get in front of that.
“I came out here for a little bit before I made my decision and it was great. The organization, top to bottom, the way they played, T-Lue just letting the guys play free – that was one of the biggest things for me was just finding someone that also lets me play my game.”
“With Denver and the Rockets, I was really looking over my shoulder every game and it’s hard to play like that and so now being in a situation where I can just play my game and do whatever the team needs to win,” Hartenstein added, his smile bright. “It’s just different. I think with the situations before it was I was a young guy – I mean, I’m still young – but a lot of situations, if I made one mistake I’m coming out. Now I’m allowed to make mistakes.
“You’re not going into it trying to do stupid stuff, but now I just play my game and I think it makes my life a lot easier.”
His presence on the court could make his teammates’ lives easier too. Hartenstein has proved to be a dexterous deliverer of the ball with developing Nikola Jokic-esque vision.
The reigning NBA MVP has something to do with that; Hartenstein played 30 games with the Denver Nuggets last season, learning from Jokic how to read defenses in order to better play keep-away.
But Hartenstein’s father gets some credit too; the former Oregon standout stressed passing when he coached his son as a teenager.
“He gave me a quarter where I was only allowed to pass the ball,” Isaiah Hartenstein said. “I hated it back then, I didn’t know why he only made me do that. But I think now it has helped my passing a lot.
“One quarter, he’d be like ‘Isaiah, you’re not allowed to score. You’re only allowed to get other people involved and just pass the ball.’
“I was like, ‘Why am I not allowed to score?’ But, looking at it now, it’s just having now the feel of passing … I love to pass.”
And what, besides being able to play free, do players love?
Teammates who pass.
“When you’re open, you’re gonna get the ball (and) guys like getting the basketball,” Lue said, with a good-natured nod to the quick on-court chemistry that’s developed between Hartenstein and Luke Kennard.
“I tease him all the time, I say, ‘There’s other guys on the floor besides Luke too that you could pass to!’ Just give him a hard time. But, you know, he does a good job of making the right reads and the right passes.”
IBAKA GOES 5 ON 5
In other frontcourt news, Serge Ibaka continues to make strides after undergoing back surgery in June.
Lue was pleased to report there was a “Serge sighting” at practice Friday, when the veteran big man participated in five-on-five action for the first time. And although there were the expected signs of fatigue, Lue said Ibaka “looked good.”
“He looked pretty good, so it was good to see,” Lue said. “And he said he didn’t feel any pain, felt pretty good, so want to just keep building from there.”