Who should the Utah Jazz select with their two first round draft picks?
Isaiah Hartenstein – PF/C
Height: 7’0″, Wingspan: 7’2 1/4″, Weight: 225
Selecting Isaiah Hartenstein who was born in Eugene, Oregon but is of German descent and most recently played in the Lithuanian Basketball League, comes with some amount of risk due to uncertainties regarding his background in international play translating over to the NBA. Not to mention, at just 19-years-old, Hartenstein is still very much a raw prospect and could be quite a project.
However, a player at his size and with his wingspan could certainly be worth that risk. Especially as Utah looks for a long-term answer at the backup center spot behind Rudy Gobert, Hartenstein could very well be that guy. He showed major potential playing in Lithuania and if he is able to develop the way that Gobert has, he could very well be an intriguing prospect.
One of our contributors had Hartenstein going to the Jazz at No. 30, which could very well be possible, though many mock drafts have him going somewhere between Utah’s pair of first-round picks. If the Jazz were to be dead set on selecting him, they may have to do so earlier than 30, because he could very well be off the board at that point.