During the New York Knicks’ 99-111 win against the Philadelphia 76ers last night, Josh Hart played a crucial role. He played 37 minutes and grabbed a triple-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. But the 29-year-old was the target of much criticism during the preseason as he failed to live up to his form from the 2024 Playoffs.
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Following New York’s blockbuster off-season trades, Hart admitted that he wasn’t briefed on his role on the new roster. After the final pre-season game, when asked whether he would be starting in the regular season, he had shared, “I’m lost. I have no idea.”
However, through the first 10 games, the Knicks star seems to be returning to that version of himself and head coach Tom Thibodeau has shown full confidence in his #3, even when he didn’t believe in himself.
The veteran coach responded to Hart’s previous comments last night.
“A lot of what he says you gotta let go in one ear and out the other. He likes to hear himself talk. But that being said, I love Josh,” Thibs said in the post-game press conference at Wells Fargo Center.
"A lot of what he says you gotta let go in one ear and out the other. He likes to hear himself talk"
–– Thibs on Josh Hart in preseason saying he's "lost"
Hart is averaging career highs in rebounds, assists & field-goal percentage 🤣 pic.twitter.com/d6kW96uWOq
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 13, 2024
Thibodeau has started Hart in all 10 games to start the season, and the 30th pick from the 2017 draft has proven his value over that period. He is currently averaging career-highs in rebounds (9.3) and assists (5.6) while contributing 13.8 points per game at a highly efficient 58.9% clip.
Josh Hart plays a valuable role in the new-look Knicks
Even without looking at the box score, one can always expect Hart to contribute positively for New York. He is generating 4.5 screen assist points per game and averaging 2.7 deflections through 10 games, playing exactly the brand of basketball that Thibodeau values.
Hustle is Hart’s biggest strength and it’s the reason he can play as a power forward despite standing at just 6’4. He doesn’t just hold his own but actually plays at an elite level at the position. During the 2024 Playoffs, he was one of four players to average 10+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 4+ assists.
His mini Dennis Rodman-like style helped him outrebound the Indiana Pacers’ big men and made up for the Knicks lack of size on the glass when Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein were missing time due to injury.
After a shaky start to the 2024-25 season, the Knicks now hold a 5-5 record. Their next four games are against sub .500 teams, allowing the NYC side the chance to claw their way towards the top of the Eastern Conference standings. A huge part of their success though will depend on Josh Hart.
