Josh Hart has proven very effective as a wildcard contributor for the Knicks
The Knicks are a team built on consistency. Jalen Brunson it’s a safe bet to score efficiently almost every night by manipulating scores via pull-up jumpers. City of Karl-Anthony he recorded a double-double in all but three games. Mikal Bridges he never lost a match in his eight-year career.
Consistency is fantastic. But every now and then you need a wild card that can change the pace or tenor of a game. That wild card for the Knicks it is Josh Hart. After a slow start to the season, Hart has been on the court lately and is helping the team overcome injuries on the perimeter OG Anunoby AND Landry Shamet.
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After starting the season as a reserve, Hart emerged as the starter, as a replacement Mitchel Robinson. He brings a burst of energy to the game with versatility, crazy shots in transition and fast-paced plays.
The Knicks’ 118-109 home win over the Bucks on Friday night advanced the club to the round of 16 of the NBA Cup tournament. Hart was everywhere in the win, notching 19 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. With Anunoby out, Hart stepped up to tackle the Giannis Antetokounmpo defensive assignment despite a serious size deficit.
The performance against the Bucks was par for the course for Hart. His efficiency increased as he filled the entire stat sheet. In the last 13 games he averaged 13.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists. He also found the range, shooting 40.1% from beyond the arc in that span.
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Hart has had ups and downs on the outside throughout his career. He still needs to be aggressive as a scorer to keep defenses honest. Teams will give up even more if he doesn’t, ruining driving lanes for Brunson and Towns.
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He’s shot better so far this season, but Hart is a career 34.2 percent three-point shooter. To weaken the Brunson-Towns pick-and-roll, many opponents put a wing on Towns while hiding the center on Hart.
In Friday’s win, the Bucks had Myles Turner guard Hart down the stretch as Antetokounmpo checked Towns. The Knicks tried to get Turner into every Brunson pick-and-roll. When the Bucks attacked Brunson, this allowed Hart to attack with a short throw. He had a couple of good opportunities to create. A key play was Hart’s discovery Miles McBride for an open corner three on a short throw.
Hart’s first four games were rough: He scored just 11 points on 4-for-19. During the spell, he was in a bad mood and throwing open looks.
It’s no surprise that Hart played poorly early in the season. A back injury kept him out for much of the preseason and season opener. A nerve injury in his right hand was also a setback. The start of this season was an adjustment for Hart, coming off the bench. He started all 77 games played last year.
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One of the head coaches Mike Brown’s The main goal with the Knicks was to get them to play faster and create easier scoring opportunities. Hart’s ability to push the pace is an underrated skill that the Knicks could use more often. They average 16.1 fastbreak points per 100 possessions when Hart is on the floor, versus just 12.8 fastbreak points per 100 possessions when he sits, according to NBA stats.
After the Knicks’ starting five of Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Hart and Towns fell apart in the playoffs last year, the group has looked better so far in the new season. In 40 minutes, this five-man unit is worth more than 24.2 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA stats. With the addition of Hart’s playmaking, it might make sense to revisit the starting lineup permanently once Anunoby returns.
Hart can have prolonged shooting slumps, accumulate careless turnovers and make questionable decisions. But it has been consistently effective over the past month. If Hart continues to play this well, it will be difficult to keep him out of the starting lineup in the future.