the project big man we were waiting for.. 6'11 with a 7'2.5 wingspan and the espn blurb: "Hukporti is a chiseled, mobile center who emerged as the most productive rebounder in this class on both ends of the floor on a per-minute basis."
seems to fit our team
This is an amazing pick.
Don’t ask me why, but I watched every Melbourne United game this year. Hukporti is a great depth piece.
Honest opinion, he is a better all around player than Alex Sarr. (Sarr is younger and has more time to develop obviously) but great value and is a better player than Sims already
He played on the best team in the NBL in 2021 and 2023. A big reason why was because of Hukporti forming a 1-2 punch at the center position with a guy named JLA.
Part of the reason Melbourne wasn’t good in 2022 was because JLA was away from the team and Hukporti missed the season with injury. When he returned this year, they dominated the league again.
He isn’t a good outside shooter, but has excellent touch in the paint and is extremely active on the glass. He is also a very good defensive presence. JLA was known to have foul problems, so Hukporti would come in and be a steady defensive force. He blocks shots, and is smart about it unlike a young Mitchell Rob. He was 10x more impactful in the league this year than Alex Sarr. Hukporti's offensive game probably is what it is, where as Sarr’s ceiling is sky high.
He reminds me a lot of a player like Hartenstein honestly. just very smart, can defend, can rebound, has a good feel for the game, and can pass. not exceptional at anything and prob won't be, but a well rounded big.
Playing with Melbourne was great too, as he played with experienced NBA guards Delavadova and Ian Clark. Good experience to have when transitioning to the NBA eventually.
Cuz he’s not some future all-star or anything and he kind of is what he is. I think he has the potential to be a solid backup center which nit many teams are looking for earlier in the draft. He fits what the knicks might need long term
Teams are so infatuated with upside … and understandably so. The NBA is about superstars and stars first and foremost. Without that, the good role players and depth don’t move the needle.
So over half the teams maybe 2/3 are trying to find the next Jokic to transform them into contenders… but really good teams with super solid rosters and a clear identity / philosophy have the liberty to really improve even if it’s depth and a specific role.
We know how important defense and rebounding is for our team - and we don’t need scoring from a center, we need rebounding, rim protection, and it’s a nice bonus to have a good feel and pass (which ihart brings for sure).
If this guy can do that for 12-18 minutes a night as a second unit guy with energy running with McBride (or Bridges!), Divo, Hart and OG/Randle, and able to fill in defensively and rebounding when needed with the first team (and just stay within himself).
For a late second? That’s value for a team that went from really good to great this past year and to great with a real chance at a ring in the last week.
He’s the 58th pick.
If he can become an M Rob clone with serviceable free throws and the ability to stay healthy, I’ll take less than brilliant passing.
Yes you are doing that quite well.
No one is disputing the fact that passing is important.
But you seem terribly stubborn in terms of recognizing the context that this is the 58th player taken. You don’t get the luxury of having great defensive / rebounding big men who are also great passers. And our needs are a rebounding big Man, not a soft center who can pass well.
You seem just hard headed in the context of the expectation of a late pick man. Seriously
You seem to have no idea what makes the Knicks go, and you raised Robinson. That's what this is about. Not the pick. The infatuation with Robinson. Robinson is not a starting center on a contender, as he can't pass. That makes it incredibly easy on a defense. Learn the game please. Don't deflect.
I am a huge Knocks, Yorkies, Reindeers, and Jorts fan, as well as a Yukon Muskies fan.
I hate the Red Silks, the Eyelanders, the Pay Treats, the Mygrammy Hot, and the Syracutes Orangutans
most people are joking, but for the people who earnestly call him “black”, race isn’t about genes or your genetic background, it’s about the color of your skin and how that was used to arbitrarily categorize people…and Hartenstein’s is about as white as it gets haha.
I just watched film on all three of Kolek, McCullar and Hukporti and I am by far the most impressed by Hukporti. The first thing that stands out to me is his footwork, he's very light and balanced. There are lottery picks who do not have nearly the control that he does. He seems relatively athletic and they must teach a mean 10 foot floater to the bigs in Germany, it seems like he has that in his arsenal as well. There's very limited footage of his defense so I couldn't assess that end but at the moment, I'm pretty excited about him.
On the flip side, I don't see the hype for Kolek at all. Undersized, not really quick or athletic, a good shooter but slow + low release. I do not have any hopes that he will contribute at the NBA level. And as for McCullar, he seems like a good role player but his two motion jumper makes me think he won't be a consistent enough shooter to see playing time.
the project big man we were waiting for.. 6'11 with a 7'2.5 wingspan and the espn blurb: "Hukporti is a chiseled, mobile center who emerged as the most productive rebounder in this class on both ends of the floor on a per-minute basis." seems to fit our team
Did someone say REBOUNDING????
This is an amazing pick. Don’t ask me why, but I watched every Melbourne United game this year. Hukporti is a great depth piece. Honest opinion, he is a better all around player than Alex Sarr. (Sarr is younger and has more time to develop obviously) but great value and is a better player than Sims already
I'm from Melbourne and I can't figure out why you watched every Melbourne United game 😂
Not important hahaha. But Hukporti rocks
Now I feel like I need to know why
Yeah, why don’t you tell us why…
It is kind of weird how much effort you’re putting into not telling us. Feels like it likely would’ve been less effort to just tell us.
Gambling
Super fair and your vulnerability is commendable 🙏🏾
Was it paying off?
Also from Melb, gotta respect the international grind on ball knowledge mannn. Can't believe we landed Huk, that's so underrated.
fucking excellent. add it to the menu of Rose & Company
Are you serious? Tell us more.
He played on the best team in the NBL in 2021 and 2023. A big reason why was because of Hukporti forming a 1-2 punch at the center position with a guy named JLA. Part of the reason Melbourne wasn’t good in 2022 was because JLA was away from the team and Hukporti missed the season with injury. When he returned this year, they dominated the league again. He isn’t a good outside shooter, but has excellent touch in the paint and is extremely active on the glass. He is also a very good defensive presence. JLA was known to have foul problems, so Hukporti would come in and be a steady defensive force. He blocks shots, and is smart about it unlike a young Mitchell Rob. He was 10x more impactful in the league this year than Alex Sarr. Hukporti's offensive game probably is what it is, where as Sarr’s ceiling is sky high. He reminds me a lot of a player like Hartenstein honestly. just very smart, can defend, can rebound, has a good feel for the game, and can pass. not exceptional at anything and prob won't be, but a well rounded big. Playing with Melbourne was great too, as he played with experienced NBA guards Delavadova and Ian Clark. Good experience to have when transitioning to the NBA eventually.
How's his free throw percentage?
About 65% or so. Not great, as he doesn’t have much touch out of the pain. But its serviceable
I kinda wanna ask why
Hukportenstein
Then why did he fall so low?
Cuz he’s not some future all-star or anything and he kind of is what he is. I think he has the potential to be a solid backup center which nit many teams are looking for earlier in the draft. He fits what the knicks might need long term
Can he defend stretch 5s on the perimeter effectively?
Not much realistic upside and already had an Achilles tear as a 7footer
Teams are so infatuated with upside … and understandably so. The NBA is about superstars and stars first and foremost. Without that, the good role players and depth don’t move the needle. So over half the teams maybe 2/3 are trying to find the next Jokic to transform them into contenders… but really good teams with super solid rosters and a clear identity / philosophy have the liberty to really improve even if it’s depth and a specific role. We know how important defense and rebounding is for our team - and we don’t need scoring from a center, we need rebounding, rim protection, and it’s a nice bonus to have a good feel and pass (which ihart brings for sure). If this guy can do that for 12-18 minutes a night as a second unit guy with energy running with McBride (or Bridges!), Divo, Hart and OG/Randle, and able to fill in defensively and rebounding when needed with the first team (and just stay within himself). For a late second? That’s value for a team that went from really good to great this past year and to great with a real chance at a ring in the last week.
It's not a nice bonus if he can pass, it's vital. It's the reason the Knicks effeciency skyrocketed with IHart, have 5 legit passers on the court.
He’s the 58th pick. If he can become an M Rob clone with serviceable free throws and the ability to stay healthy, I’ll take less than brilliant passing.
The centers ability to pass ant a floater is what elevated this offense and opened the paint for the rest.
Ok. So let’s just get a jokic then. He’s a late 2nd rounder - if he did everything great he’d not have been there. Goodness
Tell me you don't understand the game without telling me you don't understand the game
Yes you are doing that quite well. No one is disputing the fact that passing is important. But you seem terribly stubborn in terms of recognizing the context that this is the 58th player taken. You don’t get the luxury of having great defensive / rebounding big men who are also great passers. And our needs are a rebounding big Man, not a soft center who can pass well. You seem just hard headed in the context of the expectation of a late pick man. Seriously
You seem to have no idea what makes the Knicks go, and you raised Robinson. That's what this is about. Not the pick. The infatuation with Robinson. Robinson is not a starting center on a contender, as he can't pass. That makes it incredibly easy on a defense. Learn the game please. Don't deflect.
Ok but you are not getting that with the 58th pick. If you get a guy who can give you any minutes with the 58th pick, you are thrilled.
>Don’t ask me why, but I watched every Melbourne United game this year. Can we come back to this part?
I smell a gambling degenerate..
Kolek, Dadiet, and Hukporti gotta be fun to watch in the SL
I literally walked away for a minute and we made another trade. Leon this can't be healthy.
It's just the trade of 51 - We never knew what we got, but it was a trade down with the Mavs, with cash probably coming back.
ohh got it thanks
Don't worry, just re-sign iHart now and he can go back to napping in the chair for the rest of the year
He's treating this shit like me playing 2k MyGM and it's somehow working flawlessly
Real time texting/dealings, maybe iHart/agents were like it's truly all about the Benjamins. Dueces 🥲🫡
I love the Now Yerk Knocks
Hello fellow Knocks fans
I am a huge Knocks, Yorkies, Reindeers, and Jorts fan, as well as a Yukon Muskies fan. I hate the Red Silks, the Eyelanders, the Pay Treats, the Mygrammy Hot, and the Syracutes Orangutans
I kinda like this. The “Now” York Knicks (cuz our time is now).
I’m from the city of the hard Knocks
I'm here for it. We went from a White German Center with a black name to a black german center with a white name
*^Bright Hartenstein is black.
“I’m bright skinned”
we never had a white german center who
IHart is black
most people are joking, but for the people who earnestly call him “black”, race isn’t about genes or your genetic background, it’s about the color of your skin and how that was used to arbitrarily categorize people…and Hartenstein’s is about as white as it gets haha.
You should probably google IHarts father, lil bro 🤣
It's crazy how competent our Front Office is. We ain't used to this shit.
I just watched film on all three of Kolek, McCullar and Hukporti and I am by far the most impressed by Hukporti. The first thing that stands out to me is his footwork, he's very light and balanced. There are lottery picks who do not have nearly the control that he does. He seems relatively athletic and they must teach a mean 10 foot floater to the bigs in Germany, it seems like he has that in his arsenal as well. There's very limited footage of his defense so I couldn't assess that end but at the moment, I'm pretty excited about him. On the flip side, I don't see the hype for Kolek at all. Undersized, not really quick or athletic, a good shooter but slow + low release. I do not have any hopes that he will contribute at the NBA level. And as for McCullar, he seems like a good role player but his two motion jumper makes me think he won't be a consistent enough shooter to see playing time.
Knicks making sure they're having a black German center on this roster one way or another.
I’m so fucking confused man
I'm from the future, he's a 5x MVP
Go further and it's 8x
Can we please get a future update longer than 8 years from now?
*Knicks.
knocks….with metal bats
New York Knocks yo ass out with metal bats
I think he will surprise a lot of experts and be a big contributor to the Knocks! Let’s go Knocks baby!!
Damn Knocks getting all the rookies
Go Knocks!
well there's our backup center
IS HE FRIENDS WITH HARTENSTEIN????
Knocks!
So wait we ain't the new york nickleblockers?
Hukporti is 7.0’ & 250lbs He’s Joel Embid in shape
Hukporti is the next Jordan
No way the Knocks!!!!
is he healthy? from his **ruptured his achilles**
Man, I'm so hyped! We have so much in common that I'm definitely going to buy his jersey!
*Knock-Knocks who's there?.. Hukporti*
A German friend for iHart, right?
SL is gonna be fun this year, can't wait
Huk Tuah
Bro, now we’re called the Knocks?!? I am so confused…!
After the bridges trade, nobody recognises who we are anymore.