Josh Hart’s best attribute solves a serious Knicks issue
The New York Knicks had a relatively quiet trade deadline based on some of the moves that were made around the league. But the quality of a roster change is not based on how many people are talking about it, that is a mistake that the Knicks have made in the past.
This year the front office answered a simple question – Who can we get that can help this team fix the issues they have had up to this point in the season? The answer to this question was Josh Hart and he is exactly what the Knicks needed, nothing more and nothing less.
Josh Hart’s biggest strength has turned into the Knicks’ gain
Hart isn’t the fastest player, the strongest, or the tallest. He doesn’t jump out of the gym or shoot from the parking lot. What Josh Hart is, though, is a worker. He has a nose for the basketball. He forces steals (he had four of them in his Knicks debut) and snatches boards as he is ranked No. 31 in the league in rebounds as a six-foot-four guard.
That last part is particularly significant. For whatever reason (especially with Mitchell Robinson injured) the Knicks have struggled to end defensive possessions with a rebound. They often give up second and third-chance points to their opponent, especially in close games (see Luka Doncic’s historic comeback).
Hart could potentially put a stop to all of that and then some. While Miles McBride’s efforts have been undeniable for this Knicks team, what is also undeniable is that he is a defensive specialist who stands at six-foot-one and struggles to guard bigger guards like Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray. Hart as a replacement for McBride gives the Knicks two crucial things they were sorely lacking, defensive rebounding in late games and scoring off the bench.
However, if Josh Hart keeps up the performance he has had as of late, his scoring might have to come as part of New York’s starting five instead of off the bench.
