Hartenstein is already one of the best passing big men I've seen. Two things contributed to that.
One, his Dad played at Oregon and then as a pro in Europe. I read a column where they interviewed him and he talked about how he thought it was important for little Isaiah to learn to play the entire game and not just be a post-up guy. So in youth leagues he had Isaiah playing point guard to develop his dribbling and passing.
Second, Hartenstein said that when he was on the Nuggets for 2.5 years he spent his time on the bench watching Jokic, who averaged between 7.0 - 8.7 assists per game the last three years and is probably the best passing big in the world.
So it's no surprise he's already had games of 6 and 7 assists. Last night I noticed they were handing him the ball at the top of the key extended and let him face the basket and make the pass while the other four plays set and curled off screens. He was like a point center, only he didn't dribble.
He's already an excellent passer and rebounder and he's only 22. He also showed an accurate little push shot from five feet that he can get off quickly. He's a lot better than I expected. If he can ever develop the ability to hit a 3-pointer from straight on - look out.
