Isaiah Hartenstein doesn't understand that.
He blocked Rudy Gobert three times on New Year's Day.
He blocked Devin Booker's jam attempt.
He blocked Kelly Oubre at the rim in Philadelphia.
He stopped Haywood Highsmith's departure during the season tournament.
However, the opposition still seems undeterred.
“I don't understand why people keep trying to dunk on me,” Hartenstein said after recording four rejections in Saturday's win over the Grizzlies, including a highlight hit on David Roddy's missed jam try. No,” he said.
As Hartenstein pointed out after the game, this block is not new.
In the four seasons before arriving in New York, Hartenstein averaged well over two rejections per 36 minutes.
He emerged with the Clippers as one of the league's best rim protectors.
However, Hartenstein did not play much as a reserve.
Now he's a starter and the highlights are stacking up.
The most recent was a four-block, 20-rebound, 42-minute, 12-point performance on Saturday.
This German-American rim protection revealed two fun nicknames: Brockenstein and the Berlin Wall.
According to sources, the Knicks will be “active until the trade deadline.”
Their desire to upgrade, even if just by February, was the reason they fired Taj Gibson a week ago.
The additional roster spots give them flexibility in how many players they can bring back in a trade.
Opposing teams are keeping an eye on Quentin Grimes, who has yet to regain the playing time or performance he had last season.
Grimes became dissatisfied with his role in the starting unit and was replaced by DiVincenzo, who had grown at the position, at least offensively.
Even after the Knicks traded RJ Barrett, Grimes preferred to remain a reserve rather than return to the starting lineup, sources said.
Grimes, 23, is averaging just 6.9 points and shooting less than 40 percent this season.
