Before a breakthrough game Tuesday, Josh Hart didn’t back down from his “not included” comment and seemed to disagree with Tom Thibodeau about whether his offensive role diminished.
The Knicks’ forward, who has been struggling with his shot to start the season, agreed that he’d been passing up open looks but explained it’s because he rarely handles the ball in Thibodeau’s system.
In other words, Hart isn’t comfortable being stationary on the perimeter waiting for a kickout pass.
“I’m a rhythm player. So sometimes if I don’t touch the ball for four or five minutes running up and down the floor, just catch-and-shoot, I might as well be playing with a football,” Hart said. “I feel like I have no feel for [the ball]. There are definitely times I [pass up shots] because I’m not in the rhythm. I don’t like the feel of it.”
Hart, speaking in the locker room Tuesday before tipoff, clarified after the game that he’s not disgruntled — “tweet that,” he said.
He had also busted out with a season-high 17 points on a highly efficient 7-for-10 shooting in a the Knicks’ 115-91 blowout victory over the Hornets.
“I was going and trying to get into the mix early and trying to get back to how I normally play,” he said.
One game could be a building block but there seems to be a disconnect. Hart had said his role was different last season “when I would bring up the ball and do stuff like that,” which directly contradicted what Thibodeau said in his pregame press conference just minutes earlier.
“There really hasn’t been a change,” the coach said. “To be honest, his usage is up. He’s handling the ball more. The way he’s being used is not any different than last year. He’s pushing the ball up in transition. He hasn’t shot the three as well as he did last year. But he’s open, he can’t hesitate. He’s got to shoot it.”
Hart, who entered Tuesday’s game shooting just 28.6 percent on treys, responded sarcastically to Thibodeau’s rebuttal with, “Yeah, we’ll go with that.”
The 28-year-old acknowledged that he must adjust to the game plan, rather than vice versa.
“I might have to change my style of play a little bit,” Hart said. “And be more of a catch-and-shoot kind of guy. It really depends on what the team needs and if that’s what my role and my job is going to be this year, that’s what I have to do. I have to make the most of this situation and make the most of the minutes Thibs gives me.”
Hart, who was acquired in the middle of last season and helped push the Knicks to the playoffs, signed a four-year, $80 million extension in the summer. He shot 51.9 percent on 3-pointers in his 25 games last season with the Knicks, which is well above his 34.8 percent career mark. Asked if he discussed this issue with Hart, Thibodeau said, “We’ve talked, we talk all the time. The thing is do what’s best for the team, be mentally tough.”
The Knicks have three players who initiate the majority of the offense — Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley — and the ball movement has been subpar.
They entered Tuesday ranked 28th in assists — which was the same place they finished last season, and were dead last in 2021-22.
Whether or not Hart’s offensive role changed, his defensive duties were certainly altered this season as the backup power forward despite being only 6-foot-4. Thibodeau reiterated he wants Hart to sacrifice for the sake of the team, pointing out that the bench is succeeding with him in his role.
“The most important thing is the net rating of the bench unit. So when you look at those four guys with [RJ Barrett], it’s a plus-10, that’s at the top of the league,” Thibodeau said. “So put what’s best for the team ahead of any individual stuff. It’s all about the team and sacrificing for the team. What’s changed a little for him maybe is defensively, in terms of he has to guard a big. There’s still situations where he’s going to guard the best offensive [perimeter] players. It’s one of his strengths. I want us to take advantage of that. But he can function well with both units. I don’t want him hesitating. If he’s open, shoot the ball.”
Hart didn’t hesitate Tuesday while nailing 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. And he looked fine in whatever role he occupied.
