Isaiah Hartenstein helping Ariel Hukporti with his Knicks adjustment
Ariel Hukporti asked two things of his buddy Isaiah Hartenstein: advice on playing for the Knicks and his No. 55 jersey.
Hukporti, the 7-foot center and second-round pick, got both.
“He’s like, ‘Make sure you bring energy to the table, a lot of defense, rebounding, make sure you keep your game simple, don’t complicate it,’ ” Hukporti said. “Just listen to the coaches whatever they want on defense. Make sure you’re capable of adapting and all that.”
Hukporti and Hartenstein became friends in their native Germany.
There was a chance they’d play together in New York, but Hartenstein agreed to a three-year, $87 million deal with the Thunder a week after the draft.
“I thought [we were going to be teammates], but then I saw the money,” Hukporti said.
Hukporti, who scored six points with five rebounds in 17 minutes Saturday, said he’ll continue to solicit advice from Hartenstein.
The Knicks, meanwhile, still have a hole at backup center.
“I just feel like I have to get used to the game a little bit more,” Hukporti said. “Making the right reads, be in the system more. I feel like I could definitely fit in.”
![The Knicks lost Isaiah Hartenstein to the Thunder in NBA free agency.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/new-york-new-york-usa-80532121.jpg?w=1024)
First-round pick Pacome Dadiet said his poor shooting on Saturday — when he went 2-for-8 with two airballed 3-pointers — was at least partially the product of the NBA 3-point line being slightly further than in Europe.
“I just have to push on my legs a little more, I guess,” said the 18-year-old Frenchman, who was selected 25th overall.
Dadiet’s other big issue was the pace of the game.
“I felt the difference for sure. It was way faster than Europe,” he said. “It’s just everything. It’s not just conditioning. It’s the way you have to find your position on the court. Everything is just faster. You have to make a decision faster.”
Dadiet played better in the second half after the rough start.
Rokas Jokubaitis had the least preparation time for the opening summer league game.
While teammates of the 2021 second-round pick were training in the Knicks facility, Jokubaitis was playing in Olympic qualifiers for Lithuania.
The point guard then logged just 14 minutes with eight points against the Hornets.
“He had summer workouts with us, but just short ones, so he’s learning things on the fly, as he gets more comfortable,” assistant coach Dice Yoshimoto said. “The game is a little different from FIBA to the NBA. I’m confident he’ll get better.”
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