New York Knicks guard Josh Hart is having a career season. He is averaging 14.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals this season. Additionally, he is shooting 57.6% from the field and 39.3% from three.
Knicks’ Josh Hart is playing with a different mindset than the preseason
These numbers come after a quiet preseason in which he scored just two total points across four games. The lack of scoring made his role seem unclear, with many even suggesting that he should come off the bench to get more touches given the amount of star power in the starting five.
However, he has now become a very important piece to the team’s starting five, as he gives them just a little bit of everything that a player could give you on the court. Hart spoke about the mindset he plays with prior to Monday night’s game against the Washington Wizards, a game in which he recorded a triple-double and now has the fourth-most triple-doubles in franchise history.
“If you wanna stop me from doing that or keep me off the glass, that’s a game plan,” Hart said, via The Athletic’s Fred Katz. “But at the end of the day, at some point, you’re gonna break, whether that’s the five-minute mark of the first quarter or the two-minute mark of the fourth quarter. I just know you’re gonna break at some point, and I’ll capitalize, just because that’s ingrained in me.”
Hart provides the energy and hustle that the Knicks need
Hart’s hustle plays have been critical to the Knicks’ recent eight-game winning streak. He grabbed two massive offensive rebounds in the closing seconds of their Christmas Day game against the Spurs, effectively slamming the door on any comeback effort and securing the win for New York.
His rebounding prowess has been huge for a Knicks team that is still without their best interior presence in Mitchell Robinson. The playmaking is crucial as well, as the Knicks have been one of the best playmaking teams in the league thanks to his decision-making.
And then there’s the scoring. Though he is not a high-level scorer, he has shown that he is capable of lighting up teams offensively. On Monday against the Wizards, he scored 17 points in the second quarter, including a stretch of 14 consecutive points.
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He is starting to take more shots from all areas of the court as well. After not looking to be aggressive during the preseason, Hart has become an aggressive attacker for New York, and has made finishing near the basks a prolific part of his game.
Hart’s season has been a career one for him, and his on-court impact has made him one of the most valuable players on the team. He will look to continue his great season on Wednesday when the Knicks kick off 2025 at home against the Utah Jazz.
