It’s likely not just a coincidence that as Josh Hart gets more playing time, the Knicks seem to thrive more. At the beginning of the season, he faced some challenges. Adjusting to a new role off the bench, he found himself with fewer minutes than he was used to.
But due to injuries sustained by OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet, Coach Mike Brown had to rethink his strategy. As a result, Hart soon returned to the significant playing time he had during his previous stint with the team.
During the Knicks’ recent four-game winning streak, he has logged more minutes than anyone else on the roster and has really stepped up his game.
Initially, Brown believed that Hart’s impact would be maximized with shorter bursts of play. Yet, it became clear that Hart could influence games in various ways, particularly when he was allowed to stay on the court for longer durations.
“I’ve mentioned this a lot, and I’m serious, especially after our first three losses,” Brown remarked. “It was tough initially; he didn’t get much preseason time, and there wasn’t really any practice then either. I was sort of scrambling to figure out how to incorporate him into our plans. It just took a bit of time to adjust.”
In a recent game against the Raptors at Madison Square Garden, Hart played 35 minutes, achieving 20 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals, with five of those rebounds coming offensively.
“He’s a special player,” Brown noted, adding, “But he’s also just great to have around.”
In a light-hearted moment, Jalen Brunson poked fun at Hart regarding a luxury watch incident, asking, “Was this stolen?” while showing off a gold coin in the locker room.
“No, I still get it,” Hart responded, keeping his cool. Reports stated that around $185,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from his hotel room while he was staying in Manhattan for a podcast in September. Police mentioned that Hart had left the watch case in his room and found it missing upon his return.
Hart took the theft in stride, humorously suggesting that he wanted to win the NBA Cup, which carries a prize of over $500,000, in hopes of getting his watch back.
In other team news, the Knicks sent Pacom Dadiette to the G League. He scored 29 points, along with six rebounds and four assists, in the Westchester Knicks’ recent loss to the Maine Celtics. Dadiette, a first-round pick last year, has played only eight NBA games this season, mostly during garbage time.
