Josh Hart has consistently been a crucial part of any success the New York Knicks have had in the playoffs since they traded for him. But nobody is perfect, and while no Knick is expected to be, one consistent problem that's popped up over the years for Hart has been a lack of quick decision making off the catch.
The modern NBA is all about winning close-outs, and Hart kills the Knicks' offensive momentum every time he hesitates when open behind the 3-point arc. It seems like an easy fix, but Hart spending the entirety of this season playing with a splint on his dominant ring finger isn't necessarily an optimal set of circumstances.
That said, even with the finger splint, Hart has delivered his best 3-point shooting season as a Knick thus far. And head coach Mike Brown thinks that, despite the fact that the 30-year-old swingman is at an objective disadvantage because of his injury, thinks that Hart shouldn't be afraid to fire away from downtown as the opportunities present themselves.
Brown says Hart will be left open in the playoffs (and needs to capitalize)
The coach told reporters after the Knicks practiced on Wednesday in Tarrytown that, in the postseason, it's going to be imperative that his do-it-all Swiss Army knife in Hart let 3-pointers fly without any hesitation.
"Teams won't guard him. When they don't, we want him to let it fly. He's won games for us with his shooting. It's no different going into the playoffs. If a team decides not to guard him, Josh, let it fly, because we're with you," Brown told reporters after practice on Wednesday, per SNY Knicks.
While Brown has only been with the Knicks for this one season, his statements regarding Hart's 3-point shooting serving as an X-factor are incredibly accurate given the results produced over the last few seasons.
Hart has averaged more 3-point attempts as each year in New York has gone by, with the Knicks getting a 41.3% season out of him on 3.7 attempts per game despite the splint on his hand. The stage was set for the wing to have an abysmal season as a 3-point shooter, needing to lean on his indefatigable motor and devastaingly impactful rebounding abilities to impact games.
But he ended up turning in his best 3-point shooting performance as a Knick. While he was certainly more accurate in the 25 games he played after getting traded to the Big Apple, he shot almost twice as many 3-pointers per game this season.
It's clear that that's earned him Brown's trust from behind the arc in a short period of time. That's going to be key in the playoffs, where Hart used to cash in on having Thibodeau's trust, even amid shooting slumps.
Knicks will need "playoff Hart" against the Hawks in Round 1
The Knicks are locked into facing a tough Round 1 opponent in the Atlanta Hawks, a team that Hart dropped an absolute dud against in their end-of-regular-season matchup. He scored just two points in 31 minutes and was the only Knick starter with a negative plus-minus on the night.
But Jalen Brunson's reprisal of his role as Captain Clutch made that irrelevant.
All of that helped lead to a first-round date between New York and Atlanta in this year's Eastern Conference Playoffs.
The Knicks can certainly win a game in the series in which Hart scores just three points, but they'll need more from him – especially if they want to dispatch the Hawks in six games or fewer and buy themselves some rest ahead of what projects to be a brutally tough second round.
Add us as a preferred source on Google