The Houston Rockets announced Saturday that they have recalled center Isaiah Hartenstein from their G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
Mike D’Antoni said Friday before their game against the Philadelpha 76ers that forward Kenneth Faried will be out at least until Monday, and that center Nene Hilario will likely sit out one of the games in the upcoming back-to-back swing. Bring Hartenstein up from the G League provides Houston some insurance at backup center for Sunday’s game at Dallas and Monday’s game against Charlotte.
Hartenstein is having a stellar season for the Vipers in the G League, averaging 19.4 points, 14.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 blocks per game. He provided quality minutes, particularly on the defensive end, when he was playing with the Rockets this season. Houston defended 9.6 points per 100 possessions better when Hartenstein was on the floor this season.
Hartenstein was selected with the 43rd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and signed a 3-year, $3.9 million dollar contract in summer 2018.
Though he may not play much of the rest of the season for the Rockets, Hartenstein is a promising young prospect that has thus far been developed well. D’Antoni doesn’t particularly enjoy playing young players over proven veterans, but it would be nice to see Hartenstein earn himself a role in the rotation in the next few seasons.
