P&T Player of the Week for Feb. 18-24: Josh Hart

Things have been bleak lately in Knicksville.

The injury bug hit before the break, and boy, did hit hard. The All-Star Break provided an opportunity to heal up a bit, but with Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, and OG Anunoby still without exact time frames for their respective returns, reinforcements aren’t coming in the immediate future.

The Knicks split a pair of games coming out of the break. First up were the Philadelphia 76ers. New York took care of business there, and a strong first half propelled them to a 110-96 victory. Bogdan Bogdanovic had his best game as a Knick, shooting 8-13 from the field and 6-6 from long range to pace the Knicks in scoring. Nice!

Saturday was the other game on the docket, and the Boston Celtics came to the Garden for a primetime ABC matchup. Things went a little less well. A 35-26 third quarter favoring the bad guys led Boston to an easy win. Brunson played well, but outside of him, offense was hard to come by.

This week’s player of the week, though, is neither of the two names mentioned already. It’s a guy who was facing rightful criticism heading into the break, and has already elevated his game since then.

Take a bow, Josh Hart!

Hart, a fan favorite dating back to last season, is known for his hustle, grit, and tough playstyle. But his offensive contributions have been disappointing, with JH averaging 10.3 PPG in 9 games before the break with Randle out. This was in 38.4 minutes per game, mind you. He was still averaging 9.9 boards and 5.8 assists per game, but he simply wasn’t looking to score. On a team looking for any semblance of offensive aggression. At all.

His first two games back? That started to change.

Hart in 44 minutes @ PHI: 18 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists. 7-13 FG, 2-5 3PT, 2-2 FT

Hart in 42 minutes vs. BOS: 16 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 6-10 FG, 2-5 3PT, 2-3 FT

Muuuuuch better. That’s more like it.

Offensive numbers have been way down for New York, and while Bojan is acclimating to the Knicks offense, Burks is no closer to finding a consistent stroke. Having Josh Hart pursue the basket aggressively makes a big difference with the limited amount of offensive options on the table right now.

On top of that, his rebounding ability is truly on par with some of the best big men in the league. You can’t discuss Hart without discussing hustle. He is all of that and more. A true poster child. 10 boards a game (from the 3 spot!!) goes a long way, especially with Randle, Robinson, and Isaiah Hartenstein not at 100%.

It’s about time Hart gets his flowers, and I’m glad to be featuring him in this column. He’s a real winning player, a likable guy, and someone who consistently does the right thing, both on and off the hardwood. He proved his worth last playoffs, and I have the utmost confidence that he’ll do it again.

Next week’s POTW will be out on a Monday - sorry for the delay with this one, folks. But we’ll save discussion around Monday/Tuesday’s back to back for that column.

Have a good week, and as always: Go Knicks.