According to Shams Charania of ESPN, New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby is dealing with a left hamstring strain and is now day-to-day moving forward. This is the perfect opportunity for a Knicks cult hero to retake his place atop the New York hierarchy of favorite players: Josh Hart.
Everyone loves Hart. For the last few years, he’s enjoyed a ton of important playoff moments that have helped the Madison Square Garden faithful fall rapidly in love with him. But so far this postseason, Hart hasn’t been the same player he has been in previous playoff runs, especially from a shooting perspective.
Perhaps Anunoby's potential missed time could lead to Hart refinding his rhythm as the Knicks’ cult hero.
Josh Hart could step back into the spotlight with OG Anunoby injury
Hart is one of the scrappiest players in the NBA and, in a way, one of the most unique as well. Primarily because of the way he plays and the position that he plays.
Despite being just 6-foot-5, he always manages to be one of the better rebounders on the court, which leads to a ton of hustle plays that every fan can appreciate.
He’s also a solid defender, often taking on some of the most important defensive assignments – including checking CJ McCollum at the end of the Atlanta Hawks series, which almost went sideways for New York.
But on top of that, Hart’s three-point shot has also come alive in the playoffs at times, despite some other teams around the NBA failing to respect him as a shooter.
Teams will leave Hart open or help off him with the goal of double-teaming or checking Jalen Brunson and/or Karl-Anthony Towns, and Hart, at least, in the past, has made them pay.
But again, this playoff run hasn’t exactly been Hart’s best in that regard. He’s shooting just 23.3% from deep on 3.8 three-point attempts per contest.
Don’t get it twisted, Hart is doing plenty of other things well. He’s still playing a ton of minutes and impacting winning for the Knicks. But the shot just hasn’t been there.
Yet.
Should Anunoby end up having to miss some time with this hamstring injury, it could be the perfect opportunity for Hart to step back into the spotlight behind the three-point arc.
He would have a chance to reclaim his place atop the Knicks cult hero pyramid, a place where he has lived for much of his New York tenure.
The shot just has to come around a bit more consistently.
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