New York Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart is getting ready to crack away at refining his outside shot this summer in preparation for the 2024-25 NBA season.
The offseason is in full swing, but there are still over two months to go before the Knicks tip off their season opener next fall. Nevertheless, Hart will take advantage of the time off to tackle facets of his stroke that have held him back from being a better shooter on the floor.
Knicks: Josh Hart to work with shooting coach to fine-tune his jumper
Per SNY’s Ian Begley, Hart is gearing up to get in the gym with his shooting coach Mark Ramljak on Aug. 5. Ramljak, a former college and NBA player-coach and CAA coaching consultant, had this to say about the work that he and Hart put in leading up to the Knicks’ 2024 first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers:
“The stuff we did was more rudimentary and more mental. Like, ‘Hey, let’s clean up these movements.’ And the simpler and smoother he looks, the better he shoots,” Ramljak says. “Biomechanically, the cleaner we can make you, the simpler we can make you, the better you’ll shoot.”
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Hart aims to implement strategies from Mark Ramljak to improve his shot this summer
Hart’s work with Ramljak paid huge dividends in that series vs. the Sixers. The Villanova product shot 43.2 percent from outside, going 16-37 across six games. However, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Indiana Pacers, Hart fell back down to earth as he connected on only 27.3 percent of his looks from long range, going 6-22 in that seven-game series.
On the year, the 29-year-old attempted 3.2 three-pointers per game and cashed in on a below-average 31 percent of them per contest. Hart shoots 34.4 percent for his career, showing that he certainly has room to improve.
Hart will be one of the most important pieces in the Knicks’ hopeful championship puzzle next season. Coming off the bench, the rebounding extraordinaire will do a lot of playmaking on the fast break and help the Knicks push the tempo. Being able to stop on a dime from outside when defenses sag back in transition, or connect at a higher rate off the catch when defenses break down in the half-court will go a long way for himself and the Knicks’ offense.
New York’s bench finished No. 12 among all second units in 2023-24 shooting 35.7 percent from trey. Yet, they attempted the seventh-fewest threes at 11.1 per game. Better efficiency will mean more confidence for the Maryland native, and more quality output for the Knicks’ second unit. Hart’s work with Ramljak, who has helped him grow in those aforementioned areas since they first met in 2021, could benefit him in 2024-25 and beyond.
