Isaiah Hartenstein

Scouting Report by Matt Williams, Video Analysis by Bogdan Karaicic
 
Despite only just turning 19 last month, Isaiah Hartenstein has been on the radar screen for quite some time.  The son of former Oregon standout and long-time pro in Germany, Florian Hartenstein, Isaiah was born in Eugene and emerged as a prospect very early on, averaging 11 points and 4.1 rebounds per game playing up years in the German JBBL all the way back in 2012 at the age of 13.  Hartenstein introduced himself to NBA scouts at the 2014 FIBA U16 European Championship, where he averaged 10.3, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists over 26.1 minutes per game playing alongside an ultra-talented German 1998 generation.
 
Spending his junior career with the Artland Dragons, Hartenstein made his debut in the BBL in February of 2015, but it wasn't until last season that Hartenstein began seeing regular playing time for Artland's senior team, which by then had been relegated to the German Third Division due to financial woes. Spending the beginning of the 2015-2016 season on loan in Germany, averaging 11.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game after signing a contract that summer with Zalgiris Kaunas, the young forward was summoned back to Lithuania in January of 2016.
 
Averaging 23.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game at the adidas Next Generation Tournament for the historic Lithuanian club, Hartenstein turned in one of the top performances in the long history of that event.  Seeing limited minutes in a small reserve role this season, Hartenstein showed well at times in the Lithuanian First Division (LKL), amid sporadic appearances in mop-up duty in the Euroleague, finishing the year averaging 4.2 points and 3.3 rebounds over 11.5 minutes per game for the Lithuanian champions, while also appearing in the FIBA U18 European Championship and the Nike Hoop Summit.
 

 
Hartenstein has a tremendous frame for a young big man, standing a massive 7'1.25 in shoes.  Though he isn't particularly long, his 7'2.25 wingspan is still solid for a big man.  Tipping the scales at 250 ponds, the 19-year-old made quite a bit of progress with his body during his time with Zalgiris, getting in better shape with the help of a professional strength and conditioning program.  A fluid and mobile, but not overly quick or explosive athlete, Hartenstein has the skill-level to play some power forward, the size and strength to slide to the center spot, the ability to play above the rim on the move, and some potential to switch certain actions defensively, giving him intriguing versatility in today's NBA game.
 
Offensively, Hartenstien has a number of tools in his arsenal that could be polished into effective weapons down the road.  His size and mobility make him a nice target crashing the rim in the half court or rim running in transition.  The lefty also shows some craftiness inside, scoring with floaters and deft touch, and can step out to the perimeter and hit the occasional jump shot or attack closeouts.  Also a fairly gifted passer, flashing terrific vision in spurts, Hartenstein has plenty of potential to grow into on the offensive and could grow into a very versatile big man down the road.
 
For all the many areas in which Hartenstein shows flashes, he still has a long way to go to reach his potential, as he isn't overwhelmingly consistent in any one facet at this stage.   He struggles to finish over length, and is fairly left hand dominant, but still shot a serviceable 59% in finishing situations in the half court this season in his first experience against quality competition.  Not possessing great explosiveness in a crowd, Hartenstein will face a steep jump in level of play as he moves to the NBA.
 
Away from the basket, Hartenstein made just 28% of his jump shots in the half court this season.  He often shoots the ball with a bit of side spin and though he could theoretically provide some amount of floor spacing and value in pick and pop situations down the road, he's still a long way from being a reliable perimeter threat, and may need to tweak his mechanics to get there. 
 
Though he has some strong moments as a passer, the young big man's decision-making and shot selection still leave something to be desired.  Looking tentative from the perimeter at times, leading to travel violations, and lacking much shiftiness with the ball outside of some basic spin moves, Hartenstein isn't particularly adept and picking and choose his spots off the dribble, sometimes driving into traffic wildly and throwing up low percentage shots. 
 

 
Defensively, Hartenstein shows some flashes of ability using his size and strength inside, and even moving his feet well against smaller players on the perimeter, but like most young big men, tends to be quite foul prone, finds himself in no-man's land from time to time, and is still figuring out how to make the most of his tools consistently.  Lacking a degree of length, Hartenstein may never be a dynamic rim protector, but he certainly has the tools to be a capable individual defender, as he's competitive with a solid feel for the game and a strong frame. That shows up most vividly on the glass, where Hartenstein has always been a very strong rebounder (13.7 per-40 career in 61 games), pursuing loose balls with purpose instinctually.
 
Struggling at times with his body language, Isaiah Hartenstein puts a lot of pressure on himself, is outwardly expressive, and has yet to find the comfort zone needed in highly-scouted environments to fully show NBA teams to extent of his talent, Having a hard time keeping his emotions in check earlier in his career, Hartenstein has improved in that regard quite a bit as he's matured, but still has some lapses.  Seeming to lose confidence at times, it is easy to forget that Hartenstein has just one season of high level basketball under his belt given how long his name has been on the NBA radar, and given his lack of experience, the signs of maturation he's shown this season are encouraging.
 
Among the more interesting international prospects available in this draft, Hartenstein seems like a solid bet to hear his name called in the first round on draft night, even if he isn't going into June with the type of momentum you might hope for after a ho-hum Hoop Summit experience and a season at Zalgiris in which he barely got a chance to show himself. The dearth of big men in this draft and question marks about exactly what he hangs his hat on has made it difficult for him to get his stock off the ground. Among the younger players in our top-100, it isn't clear what kind of niche the promising German talent will fill long-term at the NBA level, but he has a strong foundation of skills that could allow him to grow into a productive player down the road with the right support and development structure, and has some definite potential to grow into.

Isaiah Hartenstein, German, PF/C, Zalgiris, 18.9


Strengths
-Measured really well at 7' 1.25 in shoes with a 9' 1 standing reach and a 250-pound frame, more than adequate to play the five at the NBA level (likely his more natural position in today's NBA). Similar physically to Donatas Motiejunas at the same age (in terms of height and reach), yet 26 pounds heavier.
-Solid athlete in space. Hunched and average in traffic but can play above the rim when he's able to load up. Agile for his size.
-Very physical and competitive. Plays with toughness. Not afraid to throw his weight around. Active on the offensive and defensive glass. Lifetime 14.0 rebounds per 40 minutes.
-Showed some instincts on the defensive glass. Can recover for blocks. Lifetime 2.5 steals and 2.4 blocks per 40 minutes. Going to compete. Experience with Zalgiris paying off.
-Agile enough to be effective as and pick and roll drop defender.
-Has the body and strength to defend the post. Proportionate frame that still has room to fill out.
-Did a nice job of playing the right way and moving the ball. Has some vision both from the high post and on the move. Can high low pass and drive and dish. Should develop into a plus-playmaker vs closeouts while at the five. Comfortable playing out of dribble handoffs.
-Showed he can make an occasional spot three despite unfavorable rotation and mechanics. Doesn't need to shoot it as well if he's at the five, which his tools suggest he'll be able to do.
-Has the agility to attack a closeout in space. Will finish with floaters at times. Not an NBA ready skill but an area that he can certainly build on.

Weaknesses
-Average length relative to height - 7' 2.25 wingspan. Very hunched over. Doesn't play quite as big as his measurements suggest.
-Good athlete in space but a bit ground bound in traffic.
-Struggled to make shots from the perimeter. Shoots off the side of his hand. Crazy side spin. Off hand is very involved. Lifetime 28.4% from three and 61.6% from the free throw line. Ahead of a lot of current stretch fives at the same age but will definitely need a tweak in his mechanics. How does he score if he's not a threat from the perimeter?
-Poor, choppy footwork shooting off the dribble. Hunched nature hurts his ability to get all the way to the rim in a straight line.
-Overall touch in the half court isn't great. Will have to rely more on finesse at the NBA level and has yet to shown he's going to finish with touch consistently in the paint.
-Doesn't have a traditional post or face up game at this stage.
-Showed he can pass but his decision making has room to improve. Avoidable turnovers. Turns down open spot threes for contested floaters in the lane. Over 5.0 turnovers per 40 minutes (lifetime).
-Feet are good not great guarding the perimeter. Can he develop into a switch defender? Likely best in drop situations. Projects as more of a center defensively, especially in bench lineups.
-Gets down on himself easily. Very emotional after mistakes. Puts a lot of pressure on himself.

Outlook
Hartenstein has developed the reputation as a 7-footer who can space the floor and attack from the perimeter but after a week in Portland he showed his initial value may be more as a hard-playing, 250-pound big who can make his presence felt on the glass and play with activity defensively as his offensive skill set continues to develop. Hartenstein may very well turn into a threat from NBA three down the road, but he showed that he has quite a bit of room to improve in that regard. His overall skill set offensively could use some polishing. With that said, Hartenstein has NBA tools to fall back on at 7' 1 with a great frame and impressive mobility. He competed all week long, playing only a couple hours from his hometown of Eugene, and proved that his time with Zalgiris has certainly helped him from a toughness standpoint. Hartenstein may not be the ultra-skilled stretch four man he showed flashes of in the past, but there's certainly room in the NBA for centers with his size, strength, aggressiveness, rebounding ability and potential skill set.

Isaiah Hartenstein, German, PF/C, Zalgiris, 18.9

7'1 German power forward Isaiah Hartenstein goes around the key in a Nike Hoop Summit shooting drill. Hartenstein has started off the week of Hoop Summit practices very well, showing a high skill level, a solid basketball IQ and measuring out impressively.

 This year's Hoop Summit measurements mark the first official numbers we have for Isaiah Hartenstein since the 2014 Eurocamp, when the German power forward was just 16 year old and underwent athletic testing, but wasn't weighed or measured.  Standing 7'1.25 in shoes with a strong 250 pound frame and a decent 7'2.25 wingspan, the 18 year old has tremendous size for a big man at any level and ranks as the tallest power forward porpsect in our database all-time comparing favorably in terms of size and length to recently drafted oversized fours like Frank Kaminsky and Thon Maker.  Hartenstein will have no problem seeing minutes at the center spot, the position he likely ends up being best suited for defensively.

Bogdan Karaicic takes a closer look at Isaiah Hartenstein's 13 point performance against Siauliai in the Lithuanian first division (LKL).



Isaiah Hartenstein has been playing sparingly in his first season at the pro level with Lithuanian Euroleague team Zalgiris, which is to be expected for an 18 year old. He had his momentum and continuity interrupted by the U18 European Championship in December, which required him to miss a significant portion of the month by being away with the German national team.

Opportunities to evaluate Hartenstein against top competition at the senior level have been few and far between this season, but he has had a handful of productive games in the weak Lithuanian league, particularly over the past six weeks. He had four games where he was able to step on the court from anywhere from 14-26 minutes, giving us some new film to study. At the end of February, Hartenstein posted a season high 13 points in the LKL in 26 minutes of action against Siauliai, going 5-11 from the field, while adding seven rebounds, two steals, two assists and four turnovers.

Hartenstein showed his ability to run the floor fluidly in the open floor, catching and finishing with soft hands, touch and strong body control. He also demonstrated the ability to operate off the ball in the half-court, slipping screens off the pick and roll, or ducking in for explosive two-footed finishes from the baseline.

A highly skilled player for his size, Hartenstein is a mismatch operating from the perimeter, as he can both create his own shot or space the floor with his jump-shot. In this particular game, he attacked a closeout impressively in a straight line on one opportunity, showcasing a strong first step, polished footwork and solid ball-handling skills. He also knocked down a 3-pointer fluidly, going one of two from beyond the arc, which is interesting at 7-feet.

Zalgiris is asking Hartenstein to improve his already outstanding frame and get a little more comfortable operating with his back to the basket, something he showed brief glimpses of in this game. His combination of size, relatively big frame for his age and mobility allows him to be a presence on the offensive glass, and he came up with three offensive rebounds in this contest, something scouts want to see him do more consistently.

While he's physically mature for his age, he's still just a teenager in terms of pure strength, something that was noticeable at times in this game, which he'll have to continue to address at the pro level. Playing against men, Hartenstein isn't always able to finish through contact, and can get pushed around at times, converting just 50% of his 2-point attempts in the LKL this season.

Defensively, there wasn't too much to take away from this blowout win against a group of overmatched Lithiunians, but nevertheless we saw some sparks of potential that leave plenty of room for optimism regarding his development down the road. Hartenstein is very agile for a 7-footer, as he demonstrated by getting in the passing lanes twice, and also protecting the rim as a weak-side shot-blocker. He has the size, length and budding strength needed to spend plenty of minutes at the center position, but also has the mobility to operate at power forward in bigger lineups as well.

Hartenstein has a huge opportunity in front of him as a member of the World Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland. While a handful of scouts watched him have strong games at the U18 European Championship in Turkey and in the Lithuanian first division, he'll be able to showcase his talent in front of high-level decision makers from all 30 NBA teams in the week of practices, scrimmages and the official game versus the best players in American high school basketball.

Isaiah Hartenstein, 7'0", 18.6 years old, PF/C, Zalgiris, Germany

Strengths:
-Excellent physical attributes for either big man position, standing 7'0 without shoes, with a 7'2 wingspan
-Big, strong frame. Already weighs 242 pounds. In very good shape
-Extremely fluid, agile and mobile 7-footer. Quick first step. Tremendous body control. Plays above the rim with ease off two feet
-Skillful creating his own shot from the perimeter. Major mismatch threat for opposing big men with his ability to handle the ball, change speeds, utilize crossovers, and even operate as the ball-handler in pick and roll situations. Draws fouls at a high rate. Knows how to use his body to create space and will finish creatively around the rim using floaters and scoop-shots
-Shot 67% from 2-point range at the U18s
-Has good court vision and can execute some highly creative passes when he wants to. 5.3 assists per-40 at U18s
-Can punish weaker defenders with his back to the basket. Has tremendous footwork and body control in the post. Can contort his body with awkward angle release points, using both hands.
-Can make an open 3-pointer. Hit 10 threes in nine games at the U18s.
-Shows very good potential defensively. Can slide his feet, cover ground and stay in front of smaller players when he's focused. Can also hold his ground in the post against traditional big men.
-Averaged 2.5 blocks and 2.5 steals per-40 at U18s
-Excellent rebounder at this level. 14.4 per-40 at U18s

Weaknesses:
-Very reactive to his mistakes. Blames teammates outwardly. Taunts opponents. Body language goes south as soon as adversity strikes. Has a short fuse that he'll need to get a better handle on
-Settles for 3-pointers early in the offense, often out of rhythm. Mechanics are highly unconventional. Has a slow release and a strange side spin on his jumper that causes very inconsistent results.
-Career 28/99 (28%) 3-point shooter.
-Career 90/146 (62%) from free throw line, but has been better this past year (70%)
-Feel for the game is a work in progress. Wants to hold the ball and go into iso mode every time he touches it. Telegraphs his passes at times. Decision making is poor at times. Averaged a sky-high 6.3 turnovers per-40 at U18s. Has always struggled with turnovers in every setting
-Loses his focus at times defensively. Little bit late getting out on closeouts. Struggles to stay out of foul trouble. Somewhat of a tweener defensively. Likely best suited to play the 5 at this size, but doesn't have ideal length and isn't a great rim protector.

Outlook: Hartenstein was undoubtedly a top three prospect at this tournament and produced appropriately, at 22 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 2.5 blocks and steals per-40. His team ended up disappointing somewhat by losing to Lithuania and Italy in the knockout stages and finishing in fourth place, with Hartenstein having his worst showing of the competition in the semis. Nevertheless, Hartenstein dropped vivid glimpses of his exceptional versatility and talent in every game he played in, and is a rare prospect with his combination of size, athleticism and skill. He's seeing decent playing time in the Lithuanian league with Zalgiris, and has the talent to get strong consideration in the lottery with good workouts. There are some question marks about his on-court demeanor at times, but this may be something he can overcome with age and maturity, as he gets good feedback from coaches he's worked with off the court.

German big man Isaiah Hartenstein discusses his strengths and weaknesses at the U18 European Championship, with accompanying video from the tournament overlayed.



Bogdan Karaicic is a video analyst for DraftExpress. Follow him on twitter and check out his website BHoops.com for more video breakdowns. He will be breaking down the NBA draft in digital format all year long for us, so check out his archive frequently.

Breaking down how 17-year old big man Isaiah Hartenstein from Germany performed at the NBA Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Toronto during All-Star Weekend. Also check out the scouting report we published on him and other prospects seen during all-star weekend.

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Isaiah Hartenstein, 6'11, Zalgiris Kaunas, Germany, 1998

Jonathan Givony

Strengths:
-Has terrific size for a power forward at 6'11, to go along with an outstanding frame
-Fluid athlete who can play above the rim with ease.
-Highly skilled for his size. Can put the ball on the floor, shoot with range and find the open man off the bounce
-Can carve out space inside the post with his strong frame. Has excellent footwork and a variety of moves
-Creates his own shot regularly from the perimeter, sometimes to finish with an emphatic two-handed dunk
-Excellent passer when he decides to create for others. Came up with some beautiful passes threading the needle through traffic
-Outstanding rebounder thanks to physical tools and timing

Weaknesses:
-Did not appear to be in ideal condition physically. Has a great body but looked somewhat out of shape
-Struggled to put things together in the actual games. Forced the issue badly at times.
-Jump-shot is not consistent
-Decision making can be very poor. Has excellent vision, but tends to freeze out his teammates and heave up very difficult looks early in the offense.
-Very single-minded in his approach
-Didn't look to establish himself with his back to the basket
-Indifferent defender
-Body language can be very poor. Looked borderline selfish at times.

Outlook: Coming off a minor hamstring injury and did not have a great camp. Forced the issue badly at times and seemed to be playing for himself. Without a doubt a massive talent, so will be interesting to see how he looks after a year in Lithuania playing with Zalgiris. Left his home team in Germany under a cloud of controversy. Still has to show he can be a winning player, which he has plenty of time to do.

-Germany power forward Isaiah Hartenstein is another player scouts will be eager to see up close in the wake of a huge performance at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament. Averaging 23.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game for Zalgiris, Hartenstein posted one of the very highest PERs in the ANGT/NIJT history over four games in Kaunas. The son of former Oregon center Florian Hartenstein, the 6'11 athletic and versatile big man will have a chance to continue his momentum in front of a larger audience of scouts in Toronto. He too has been identified as a potential future lottery pick.

Jonathan Givony

Strengths:
-Extremely impressive physically.
-Legit 6-11. Outstanding frame that will fill out nicely in time. Long wingspan. Big hands
-Very good athlete. Mobile. Quick off feet
-Can do a little bit of everything offensively
-Made ten 3-pointers in nine games at the U19s. Capable shooter with feet set. Even knocks down an occasional pull-up 3. Can pick and pop
-Can attack a closeout driving left with a strong first step
-Can score a little with back to the basket. Has soft touch and decent footwork. Should be able to develop this part of his game in time
-Can create his own shot from mid or high post going one on one. Finishes high and soft off the glass, or finds open man spotting up from perimeter with impressive crosscourt passes
-Outstanding rebounder. 15.5 per-40 at U18s. 14.5 at U16s. Goes out of area impressively with quickness and length, good timing and can beat opponents off the ground with quick bounce off two feet
-Can handle ball smoothly and confidently in open court, sometimes going coast to coast
-Shows very nice mobility on the defensive end, including quick feet and nice length. Can cover ground, stay in front of smaller players and contest shots impressively on the perimeter. Should be able to guard both big men positions as he fills out

Weaknesses:
-Feel for game, decision making hasn't quite caught up to his skill-level and athleticism yet
-Can make 3-pointers, but is not consistent from outside (26% 3P% at U18s, 18% at U16s). Shoots ball off the side of his hand with quite a bit of side-spin rotation. Will throw up some airballs at times
-Not a really team player. Plays for himself seemingly. Needs to be reeled in offensively
-Was very inefficient (46% TS% at U18s, 46% TS% at U16s) as well as turnover prone (5.6 turnovers per-40 at U18s, 4.1 at U16s).
-Doesn't quite know what his limitations are at this stage.
-Takes crazy shots off the dribble early in the shot-clock, which sometimes go in.
-Forces the issue with his drives
-Drives wildly into traffic and then throws up low-percentage floaters or ill-advised passes
-Rarely uses his right hand on drives or finishes
-Needs to improve his advanced ball-handling ability to be as much of a driver as he wants to be
-Loves to float out onto the perimeter, even when he has a clear-cut advantage inside. Views himself as some kind of combo forward, not as a big man.
-Back to the basket game can be developed into a real weapon if he's willing to, but right now it's at a very early stage.
-Lacks a degree of toughness and physicality on the defensive end, particularly on the interior. Doesn't always look like he's operating with the highest level of intensity. Gets beat a little more than he should. Fundamentals are average. Has tremendous potential on this end of the floor, but doesn't always look fully engaged. Much more focused on his offense.

Outlook: Extraordinarily talented lefty big man with tremendous versatility. Does things that 17-year olds his size aren't normally supposed to do. Sky is the limit as his combination of physical tools, skills and upside make him one of the most intriguing long-term prospects in Europe. On the downside, looks like he's used to doing whatever he wants. Needs to be reeled in by a good coach and figure out how to play efficient basketball. Was very up and down over the course of the tournament. Team finished a disappointing 8th despite having arguably the most talented roster in the competition. Recently ruled out the NCAA track. Will likely sign in Spain, possibly in Vitoria according to rumors.

An interview with 6-11 German big man Isaiah Hartenstein at the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championship in Volos, Greece.

More FIBA U18 European Championship Content:
-Tadas Sedekerskis Interview
-Frank Ntilikina Interview
-Verners Kohs Interview
-Kostja Mushidi Interview
-Lauri Markkanen Interview

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Taking part in the Jordan Brand International game earlier this spring, Isaiah Hartenstein impressed here with his combination of strength and finishing ablity. Possessing good hands, a strong lower body, and the ability to score with both hands, Hartenstein stood out more than any other player in this group. His back to the basket game is still a work in progress, but his ability to hit midrange jump shots and finish through contact allowed him to score consistently here while he flashed some shot blocking ability on the other end of the floor as well. A force at the junior level in Germany, Hartenstein is a prospect scouts will be keeping tabs on in the coming years, as he has very interesting potential, especially if he continues to grow. His father, the 6'9, 265-pound Florian Hartenstein, played collegiately at Oregon before embarking on a long career in the German BBL.