NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 20: The Sweet Sixteen edition
By Chris Stone
Isaiah Hartenstein
C, Zalgiris
His calling card is his offense, which centers itself around his ability to create away from the paint. Hartenstein is comfortable facing up opposing players and attacking them off the dribble. He is a good ball-handler for his size, which puts pressure on big men who aren’t traditionally comfortable defending those types of players. As a result, he draws fouls at a high rate. Hartenstein is also a confident 3-point shooter, although his percentages don’t suggest that he’s a good one yet. It’s an evolving area of his game that could open up his offensive skill set even more.
On defense, there are plenty of question marks. Hartenstein doesn’t have tremendous length, which limits his ability to be a good rim protector or defensive rebounder against NBA athletes. He can move alright along the perimeter due to his athleticism, but he lacks the effort to compete consistently. Because of his defensive liabilities, Hartenstein’s role will likely ultimately revolve around his offensive potential.