When Josh Hart is on the floor, it is always pedal to the metal. His relentless energy and pursuit of the ball are what make him so valuable. He can turn a game around by flying after loose balls, crashing the glass, and mucking things up. That said, when the minutes pile up too high, as they did last season, the returns diminish. Hart is at his best in short bursts, which is why Mike Brown should shift him to the bench and limit his minutes this season.
Last season, Hart played the second-most total minutes in the NBA, only trailing Mikal Bridges. Hart was the definition of a "Thibs Guy"; he embodied the effort and will to win that Tom Thibodeau loved. In many ways, Hart has been the heart of the Knicks since he got there, doing all the dirty work that has made the difference in countless games.
At the same time, Hart has clear limitations. He isn't a good shooter, or a willing one, which clogs up the paint and makes it harder for others to operate. Because of that, opposing teams often opted to have their center guard Hart when he was on the perimeter, allowing their wings to guard Karl-Anthony Towns.
Hart ran out of gas last season
Speaking to The New York Post's Stefan Bondy, Hart explained that he "didn’t have anything left in the tank" last season when the Knicks fell to the Indiana Pacers. Part of playing with the type of energy that Hart does means that he will inevitably crash at some point, and he experienced that last season.
In the second half of the year, Hart's shooting percentages also started to dwindle. From the start of the season through January 20, the first 44 games of the season, Hart averaged 14.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, while shooting 55.7 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from three, and 81.4 percent from the free-throw line.
From January 20 to the end of the regular season, Hart shot 49.1 percent from the field, 29.2 percent from three, and 72.4 percent from the free-throw line. Hart's impact metrics also took a nose dive as the season went on.
Hart is incredibly valuable to this team and will be again this season. Still, he needs to be used correctly, which means shifting him to the bench and significantly reducing his minutes so that he can maintain the energy he needs to have the impact only he is capable of.