The Knicks lost some playmaking when they traded Julius Randle to Minnesota in the blockbuster deal that brought Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. While KAT has shown early on that he’s a capable distributor of the basketball, he’s not the player who has taken the biggest leap in terms of their passing volume and efficiency. Instead, it’s Josh Hart who is putting up assist numbers that blow his previous season totals out of the water, and it could be a sustainable change for the dynamic of this offense.
A role player who actually has gravity in the paint, Josh Hart continues to embody the modern role player as he’s the perfect do-it-all weapon for this offense.
Josh Hart Continues To Improve In Third Year With the Knicks
Through 12 games, Josh Hart is averaging 13.7 points per game on elite efficiency, ranking in the 92nd Percentile in True Shooting Percentage (68.8%), and the reason for his hot start comes from improved shot selection. His shot frequency at the basket has increased by over 5% and his frequency of corner threes has increased by over 6% as well, as taking higher percentage looks has created a more free-flowing offense.
His tendency to create high-percentage looks at the rim causes defenders to shift out of position and immediately flock to him in the contested area, which Josh Hart has also taken advantage of. In his nine-assist performance last night, there were multiple instances where he would attack the rim and put another defender in motion, leaving someone open the perimeter where Hart can dish the rock and give them a clean look from three.
One of the assists that impressed me the most was his dime to Jericho Sims in the first quarter, as he was able to completely misalign the entire Nets’ defense just by stepping into the contested area off of a screen:
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Ben Simmons and Dorian Finney-Smith are both drawn towards Hart to try and cut off his lane to the basket, and while Jericho Sims cuts to the basket to exploit Brooklyn’s defense, that wasn’t the only pass available. OG Anunoby is left completely open at the perimeter, and with Jalen Brunson there to impede Dennis Schroeder’s route to the two-way wing, the Knicks would have had a clean look from three there as well.
Creating two uncontested high-percentage looks in a normal five-on-five situation is quite incredible, especially considering that Karl-Anthony Towns isn’t on the floor; Jericho Sims is. The Knicks have had problems with Sims on the court because not only is he limited as a defender and passer, but he also brings zero perimeter offense so teams can usually just have someone pinned to the basket.
With Josh Hart’s ability to crash the boards however, teams aren’t able to just leave a defender to cut off Sims and have to disrupt a route to the rim by pressing as he crosses the top of the key. His passing and paint-scoring also serve as great counters to sets where Jalen Brunson is doubled at the perimeter since Hart can slip free and get a clean pass in a four-on-three situation
The way that Josh Hart has played with the Knicks, he’s become one of the best acquisitions the franchise has made in recent memory.
Trading just Cam Reddish and a first-round pick for his services, the Knicks have turned Josh Hart from a role player into their ultimate Swiss army knife. Tom Thibodeau knows he can run him out there for 40+ minutes if needed, and he’s positively impacted the lineup when he’s on the court. With a +4.9 On-Off this season and a +5.5 On-Off last season, and Hart’s improved offensive repertoire should make him an even better fit alongside the Jalen Brunson-Karl-Anthony Towns duo.
He’s bought into the Knicks’ pass-heavy scheme, is still able to aggressively attack the basket, and plays with a high motor that allows him to collect boards as well. If New York wants to get to the promised land, they’ll need to keep getting big-time production from their versatile weapon. In many respects, Josh Hart has become the glue guy for this starting lineup, as he and Brunson are the lone reminders of the 2022-2023 squad in the starting five.
They’ve shown incredible synergy in the postseason, and it’s carrying over into the regular season as the Knicks have been able to run an offense that emphasizes shot creation and passing. They’ve climbed to 8-6 on the season after some much-needed wins against inferior opponents, but they’ll need to prove themselves against the best the East has to offer if they want to truly get back on track.