2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 21: Malik Monk to the Sixers

With contract situations looming, the Utah Jazz could afford to find some help in the frontcourt to help ease some of the hard decisions they may face in the near future. Isaiah Hartenstein is a 7-footer who could provide some of that relief in the form of a terrific offensive mismatch.

Hartenstein doesn’t see the floor much for Zalgiris, but he has shown himself to be a tough player to defend in international competitions because of his ability to operate along the perimeter with the ball in his hands. By pulling defenders away from the basket, Hartenstein opens up driving lanes for others and can attack off the bounce against defenders who aren’t used to being put in those situations. He has a dire need to improve as a shooter, but other than the percentages in a small sample, there’s not much to suggest he won’t get there.

Defensively, Hartenstein is more of an open book in the sense that he doesn’t always play with the requisite effort or intelligence. His lack of length also hinders his rim protection and rebounding. That said, Hartenstein’s athleticism is intriguing and should allow him to handle smaller players for short stretches in pick-and-roll.

Learn more about Isaiah Hartenstein at The Step Back.