Goals for each key Knicks player in the 2023 FIBA World Cup

For fans of the New York Knicks who weren’t as engaged with the team’s Summer League action due to a lack of high-end prospects on the roster, the 2023 FIBA World Cup should be much more fulfilling.

Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart will be playing alongside one another for the United States, while RJ Barrett will be suiting up for the Canadian national team. Evan Fournier will represent France.

The actual tournament doesn’t start until August 25th, but the players will be in action for their respective countries much sooner. Team USA will begin exhibition games starting August 7th against Puerto Rico, and Canada will play against Germany on August 9th as part of the 34th Basketball Supercup.

While the objective for each player participating should be to win the World Cup for their country first and foremost, it would also be beneficial for them to reach various individual goals as they participate in international competition.

Goals for each Knick competing in the 2023 FIBA World Cup

Josh Hart

Hart is in an interesting spot, as he was one of the final selections for the team. Although the World Cup roster isn’t as star-studded as it usually is for the Olympics, there are still several players that are essentially a lock to get minutes over the high-energy forward.

Brandon Ingram, Anthony Edwards, and former Villanova teammate Mikal Bridges will almost certainly be above Hart on the wing depth chart. So, one of his goals should be learning how to operate in a smaller rotation role.

Since the start of the 2020 season, Hart has averaged 31.6 minutes per game. After being dealt to the Knicks back in February, he averaged 30.0 minutes in the regular season and 32.1 minutes in the playoffs despite starting in a mere six of 36 appearances.

With the addition of Donte DiVincenzo in free agency, there are fewer available minutes at the backup shooting guard spot. Not to mention the possibility of 23-year-old starters Barrett and Quentin Grimes having a breakout season, which could mean fewer chances for Hart to close out games.

Barring injury, there’s a fair chance that Hart averages less than 30 minutes per contest. It’ll be important for him to properly scale down his game when needed, offering the same rebounding effort and relentless defense while also maintaining consistent three-point marksmanship.

Hart is a career 35% shooter from behind the arc on 3.8 attempts per game, although his volume has decreased in recent years. In fact, his 2.2 attempts each night in 2023 ended up being his lowest mark as a pro.

He often hesitated when presented with wide-open looks from deep, which the Miami Heat ended up using to their advantage in the postseason by treating him as a non-shooter and using his defender to pack the paint whenever a Knick attempted to drive.

This not only weakened the offense’s productivity as a whole but Hart’s own individual efficiency. After ranking as a 92nd percentile spot-up shooter in New York during the regular season according to Synergy, he plummeted to the 22nd percentile on spot-ups during the playoffs.

Adjusting to a smaller role and adopting a willingness to let it fly from behind the arc are two areas of his game that Hart should look to showcase in August.