The New York Knicks finally have a second unit they can rely on thanks to the steady resurgence of fan favorite Josh Hart. Hart has selflessly made the move from the starting lineup to the bench, and in the process, has become the linchpin the reserves needed to build their success around.
With Hart finding his form and the Knicks embracing the new dynamic, Mike Brown can utilize the depth Tom Thibodeau wasn't necessarily afforded to build a long-awaited elite second unit.
Hart started all 77 games that he played for the Knicks in 2024-25, as well as 42 of his 81 appearances in 2023-24. Thibodeau caught flack for not emphasizing the depth of the roster, but it's worth noting that New York has revamped its second unit and addressed previous weaknesses.
With Brown willing to cut starters' minutes and trust his reserves to deliver, the Knicks are flourishing with seven wins in their past nine games.
New York's recent success followed a 1-3 start to the season that directly aligned with Hart's underwhelming October. He shot 21.1 percent from the field and 10.0 percent from beyond the arc during that time, thus making it difficult for Brown to feature one of his most important players.
Hart has turned a corner in November, however, and the Knicks' team success is a direct reflection of his uptick in production, efficiency, and general involvement.
Josh Hart's recovery from nightmare October has Knicks on fire
Since Nov. 1, Hart is averaging 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.6 three-point field goals made on .537/.452/.813 shooting. It should thus come as no surprise that his minutes have increased from 22.3 per game in October to 27.4 in November.
With New York going 7-2 since Nov. 1, it's difficult to ignore the correlation between their glue guy's resurgence and the team's simultaneous success.
One of the primary reasons Hart has become such an important figure is that his adaptability enables him to replace any wing and emulate their impact alongside the starters. When he's coming in for OG Anunoby, he has the strength to fill a similar defensive role and the scoring versatility to produce in similar manners.
When it's Mikal Bridges who Hart is checking in to replace, his underrated proficiency as a playmaker allows New York to emulate the value of one of its most productive and important facilitators.
Josh Hart anchoring second unit, perfectly filling voids when starters rest
That alone makes Hart an irreplaceable figure in the rotation and perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle. Clearly, the Knicks will only go as far as stars such as Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns enable them to down the stretch of games, but Hart plugs holes as well as anyone in the NBA.
With positional, offensive, and defensive versatility, Hart has the uncanny ability to answer the call no matter what he's asked to do—and that ability is translating to when he plays alongside the reserves.
With Hart anchoring the second unit, the Knicks have a player they can trust to unselfishly approach the game on both ends of the floor. That enables scorers such as Jordan Clarkson, Miles McBride, and Landry Shamet to have a more defined role on offense.
It also allows New York to mask defensive flaws among players who aren't necessarily known for their impact on that end of the floor without forcing the starters to expend additional energy for the cause.
With value alongside the starters and reserves alike, Hart has epitomized what a sixth man is expected to be. They're asked to step in as almost a sixth starter, but also lead a unit of their own with a balance of assertiveness and passiveness depending on what the situation calls for.
After a tough start to the season, Hart has figured out how to check those boxes and become the perfect sixth man for a Knicks team that's simultaneously righted the ship.