Josh Hart’s season began with doubts over his offensive role with the Knicks, even after signing a four-year extension following a shocking midseason trade from Portland in February 2023. Ta.
But when the first round of the playoffs began Saturday against the 76ers at the Garden, there was no question about Hart’s essential role as a do-it-all wing.
Hart, a four-time World Series champion and great-nephew of Yankees legend Elston Howard, had his hair braided into interlocking braids in New York for the postseason.
The Harts, along with a starting frontcourt of Julius Randle (season-ending shoulder surgery), OG Anunoby (elbow surgery) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle surgery), lost Tom Thibodeau in the final two-plus months of the regular season. He became an extremely valuable main player for the Knicks. ) All important time is missing.
Hart, 29, started the final 36 games after Randle and Anunoby were sidelined for the first time in late January.
He averaged 40 minutes per game during this span, surpassing NBA leader DeMar DeRozan (37.8 minutes per game), who played at least 79 games a season.
“Personally, I don’t think my confidence has changed much. At the end of the day, I go out and play my game,” Hart said Friday. “In practice, when the ball went up the middle, everyone was talking about, look at the rim, Jalen.” [Brunson], OG, I, you just do whatever you have to do. That’s how I approach the game. I just do what I have to do. ”
Hart, who signed a four-year contract extension worth $81 million in the summer, said in November that he “doesn’t feel included” in the team’s offensive set as a way to explain his early struggles with 3-point shooting. ” he said.
He played in 25 games since joining last season, shooting an impressive 51.9 percent from long range, and the Knicks went 18-7 in those contests.
Hart never fully rediscovered his outside shot, finishing the year with a career-low shooting percentage of 31.0 from beyond the arc.
But the 6-foot-4 wing appeared in the final 36 games, posting 12.0 points, 10.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, emerging as an all-around dynamo who filled in various categories on the score sheet.
Hart recorded six triple-doubles, something he had never done in his first six-game NBA campaign.
“You have scoring days, you have rebounding days, you have playmaking days,” Hart said. “I don’t think it gave me confidence, but I think it gave the players on the team and the coaches confidence that I would play a different role if needed.
“For me, I just go out and play basketball. And I just enjoy it.”
