WASHINGTON — Josh Hart finally found some points in the preseason, but just two points on two shots wasn't enough to make him happy in his new role.
He even floated the possibility of being benched after Friday's 118-117 preseason loss to the Wizards.
“I'm lost. I don't understand,” Hart said. “We've got a few days left until Boston. So it's either I try to get into a rhythm with that starting unit or I let someone else take a look and my role changes and I come off the bench and go with that unit. So I'm just trying to figure it out right now, I don't know much. But we'll see what happens in Boston (Tuesday's season opener).
Notably, Hart made similar comments early last season, specifically about not being able to get into a rhythm because he doesn't touch the ball, but he has since found his groove.
But he's in a different position this season in a lineup with two offensive-minded All-Stars, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, and another production shooter, Mikal Bridges.
“(Brunson) and (Towns) are our engine. I feel like we played pretty well this preseason,” Hart said after the Knicks finished the preseason 4-1. “So I'm OK with that. I just think I can find a way to be the best version of myself. Roles, minutes, whatever it is.”
The second unit, built during the preseason, is led by Miles McBride and Precious Achiuwa (injured on Friday).
Hart took just six shots and scored two points in 90 preseason minutes.
After the first preseason game in early October, Hart spoke about the importance of sacrifice.
He repeated the same thing Friday, but with a twist that suggested he might be better off playing a different role.
Achiuwa was chased to the locker room by a trainer in the fourth quarter on Friday, but did not return to the bench.
The frontcourt reserve, one of the Knicks' top players in the preseason, appeared to grab his hamstring after attempting a dunk. He was immediately sent off.
After standing in the middle of a fight between his best friend and his father on national television, Branson blamed both parties for poor decisions.
“I just wanted to make a point that my family is fighting. A lot has been said. Shit should have been handled better on both sides, but here we are,” Brunson said on the podcast. He said this on The Roommates Show. “Everyone thinks the world is falling apart. Everyone thinks. … This is what it feels like at the moment. I just feel like I should have handled it better.”
During Sunday's preseason game between the Timberwolves and the Knicks, Donte DiVincenzo, a groomsman at Brunson's wedding, started talking loudly on the Knicks bench, including Rick, a Knicks assistant and Jalen's father.・It also included harsh comments directed at Branson.
It spilled over into the post-match commotion, with DiVincenzo and Rick being separated on the MSG court.
Despite this, multiple sources said both teams had improved things in the ensuing days and were in a good place.
