New York Knicks guard Josh Hart is the kind of player that every successful NBA team has on their roster. He is the ultimate glue guy, willing to do whatever it takes to help his team pick up victories on a nightly basis.
For New York, Hart’s role with the team can change several times a game. Recently, head coach Tom Thibodeau has been deploying him as the starting power forward in a small-ball lineup. Miles McBride, not Precious Achiuwa, has been replacing OG Anunoby in the starting five.
Hart has the strength and toughness to battle with bigger players in the post and is the best rebounding guard in the NBA. While he has lamented his role as a power forward at times, it opens up several possibilities for lineup construction, giving Thibodeau a lot of flexibility.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: J.J. Redick, Josh Hart, New York Knicks Updates
Later on in the game, you will then see Hart playing his more natural shooting guard spot. The Knicks will sometimes go with a more traditional lineup with Achiuwa and a combination of Isaiah Hartenstein, Bojan Bogdanovic and Jericho Sims, pushing Hart back to the wing.
Regardless of what position he is playing, you know what you are going to get from Hart. You will never question is effort level and he energizes his teammates as well. During a recent episode of The Old Man and the Three Things, a podcast hosted by former NBA player JJ Redick, Hart was brought up as one of the unsung heroes of the league.
“He ends up with basketballs he has no business ending up with,” Redick said when talking to his guest, former NBA sharpshooter turned analyst, Tim Legler.
That is praise Hart has certainly earned given his performance this season. He is a jack of all trades for the Knicks, filling in the gaps wherever he is needed. Alas, if there was one weakness in his game, its his 3-point shooting.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: J.J. Redick, Josh Hart, New York Knicks Updates
Hart has had a few red-hot stretches shooting the ball during his tenure with the Knicks. But, this season he has struggled, making only 30.4 percent of his 3-point attempts. That is something he is going to work tirelessly on this offseason, as Redick revealed that he and Hart have committed to working on it together this offseason.
Redick was as good as anyone shooting the ball throughout his career. He led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage in the 2015-16 season, making 47.5 percent of his attempts. For his career, Redick was a 41.5 percent shooter.
To this point, Hart is a respectable 34.3 percent 3-point shooter, but his shot has been off this season. Getting back to that level, and even creeping over the 35 percent mark, would do wonders for his game offensively.
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