The New York Knicks are a team built on consistency. We know Mikal Bridges is going to play every game and get to his patented fadeaway jumper in the lane. Jalen Brunson’s going to snake his way into the paint with elite footwork and big man Karl-Anthony Towns is sure to launch several threes and attack on straight-line drives to the rim. But with Josh Hart, we don’t really know what he’s going to do on a game-to-game basis.
Hart adds randomness to the Knicks. He fills in the gaps. It’s unclear what his role will be each night, but he’s going to make some kind of positive impact. That’s just what the Knicks need.
After 35 games, the Knicks are third in the East with a 24-11 record. Though much of the attention will go to the team’s elite offense or the star play of Brunson and Towns, Hart has performed admirably as a supreme role player. Hart is the Knicks’ swiss army knife. The 6-4 player is featured atop several of the team’s stat leaders across several categories. Hart is second in rebounds (8.7) and assists (5.6), tied for the team lead in steals and fifth in scoring (14.6).
Earlier this week, Hart filled up the stat sheet, recording two consecutive triple doubles. He has four total triple doubles this season. Hart has proven too valuable to keep off the floor as he’s second on the Knicks in minutes per game and second in the NBA behind Bridges.
Some games Hart is mainly a disruptor on the defensive end, some nights he dominates the glass and there are games where he does a little bit of everything. Just look back at this past week. When Brunson missed Wednesday night’s game against the Utah Jazz, Hart was a playmaker, tying a career-high with 12 assists in the win. The game before that, Hart tied season highs with 23 points and four made trifectas in a win against the Washington Wizards.
Perimeter threat
Hart has been efficient this season. His true shooting percentage is a career-high (67.2). One of Hart’s weaknesses has been inconsistent outside shooting. Before this season, he was a career 34.4 percent shooter from beyond the arc. He’s turned it around this season, converting on 38.2 percent of his 123 three-point tries.
It’s important that Hart has been willing to take the open shot and he’s been making them or cutting to the basket. Adding an effective outside shooting center like Towns has made Hart the player that opposing defenses choose to leave open.
Some teams have hid their center on Hart so the big man can leave Hart and muck up the paint on any Knick drives. In Friday night’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Hart was guarded for most of the game by former Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein. The strategy worked to some degree as Towns was limited to just 17 points with a smaller defender on him for much of the game. Hart did make two threes and scored 19 points.
Opponents are going to continue to dare Hart to knock down shots. He’s been up to the challenge in the past. The Philadelphia 76ers used the strategy in the first round last year and Hart made them pay by shooting 43.2 percent from three.
The Knicks have a predictability to them. There aren’t many surprises in the team’s rotations or methodical style of play. With the Knicks, there’s death, taxes and Brunson surgically dissecting defenses in the halfcourt. With a player like Brunson, it’s not a surprise the Knicks play slow. The team ranks just 25th in pace in the NBA.
That’s where Hart’s unpredictable style of play helps New York. When he snatches a rebound, Hart’s ability to push the ball can often lead to a one-man fastbreak. He creates easy scoring opportunities for the Knicks offense in transition and can awaken the bogged down offense when it’s been in a slumber. These opportunities usually lead to free-throws or easy scores at the rim.
With his improved scoring this season and his added ability to defend multiple positions, Hart has been the glue that keeps this Knicks team connected.
