The New York Knicks' starting lineup has been responsible for many of the extremes fans have experienced over each of the past two seasons, both good and bad.
The grouping has unequivocally helped the team achieve some of its highest highs, despite the data piling up in favor of a shake-up. But even the NBA's best teams can't ride just one style of basketball all the way to the top.
The Knicks learned in Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers that the Eastern Conference Finals might not be Josh Hart's series. And even if he doesn't like the lesson – Hart's willing to learn it, too.
He was on the bench during their 22-point comeback, which Mike Brown attributed to increased floor spacing (could he have been any more obvious?), but told reporters after that the team's success matters more than his.
Josh Hart's 3-point slump is due to an obvious pair of disadvantages
Hart played the entirety of the regular season with an injured right ring finger. Fans were terrified when the wing broke the news at media day that he wouldn't be able to ditch the splint on the finger until this upcoming offseason.
But Hart he went on to back up his decision not to have surgery by having arguably his best season as a 3-point shooter, yet, making over 41% of his looks from beyond the arc.
He had a rough series as a shooter against the Atlanta Hawks, though, and hasn't been able to pick it up since. That got harder when, in Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers, the 30-year-old sustained a second finger injury. This time, it was to his left thumb.
While it theoretically shouldn't affect his jump shot as much as a splint on his dominant hand, it clearly didn't help Hart get back on track. After making just two of his first seven attempts against the Sixers in Games 1 and 2, he missed all four of the 3-pointers he tried in Game 3.
The ECF against the Cavs doesn't present as a Hart series -- just yet
Hart did have a 4-6 night from downtown, despite playing fewer than 30 minutes, when New York closed Philadelphia's season out.
That momentum didn't last throughout the Knicks' lengthy period of rest, though, during which time the Cavaliers were still battling against the Detroit Pistons.
Hart started off the Eastern Conference Finals shooting 1-5 in Game 1 on Tuesday night. He told reporters after practice on Wednesday that he's expecting to – intentionally – be handed several of the same opportunities by Cleveland's defense.
And while Hart certainly plans on making good on them, as he told reporters like Howie Kussoy, he's also clearly aware that his group mounted their historic comeback without him.
"I put the success of the team over the success myself any day," Hart said in Tarrytown according to Kristian Winfield.
That's what leaders do – lead by example, even if they're not keen on serving as one of those examples. Hart doesn't have to be removed from the starting lineup at all. But if the game dictates that the Knicks need five shooters on the floor, they have the personnel to make that happen.
They should do it.
Hart will likely be glad to learn one, final lesson in the instance that things work out: that the success of the Knicks as a team will, in turn, be his own success too.
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