thelesterlee
The Knicks aren’t a basketball team without Josh Hart. They’d be 11 millionaires standing around watching the coach’s son chuck up 900 shots a game.
Josh Hart is the most important player on the New York Knicks. At 6-foot-4, he rebounds the way Andre Drummond talks about Andre Drummond rebounding.
I’m convinced Josh Hart is a big man in a guard’s body https://t.co/hg6v4sf0kk pic.twitter.com/0OT9ll9RS2
— Dylan Backer (@DylanBackerESM) October 31, 2024
He perfectly predicts the trajectory of every missed shot, timing his jump to catch guys off guard as he appears to respawn in the corner of their eyes, landing with the basketball to start the fastbreak.
Josh Hart pushes the pace in transition, granting Jalen Brunson brief, rare moments where he isn’t responsible for every single offensive decision and can just run the floor with his business partner.
Hart can switch onto, and defend any position one through five, making him one of the most unique players in the league. With Karl-Anthony Towns being the tiniest 7-footer ever, the Knicks will need Hart’s ability to throw bows in the paint with big men.
My favorite arrow in Hart’s arrow-holder-thing1 is his relationship with the shot clock.
Per Through the Looking Glass:
Josh Hart career 3P%: 30%
In first 23 seconds of shot clock: 24%
In last second of shot clock: 86%
In last second of shot clock after a dribble: 100% pic.twitter.com/Ox8I20xXDV
— Rit Holtzman (@BenRitholtzNBA) October 31, 2024
Josh Hart turns into 2016 Steph Curry at the thought of a shot clock violation.
In a modern sports landscape where players randomly take nights off or have pitch limits or sit out practices all week—Josh Hart goes 100%, 100% of the time.
In Wednesday night’s 116-107 victory over the Miami Heat, Hart scored 10 points with 14 rebounds and 6 assists. His effort singlehandedly kept the Knicks in this game.
And he once again, led all Knicks with 42 minutes played.
Hart could casually average 48 minutes a game, able to make the same high-energy plays in the first minute as the 48th.
Josh Hart will never win an award unless he comes off the bench and even then, that Sixth Man of the Year Award often goes to straight bucket-getters.
He will never have the counting stats to steal an All-Star roster spot from all these cats scoring 20 a night, like, I’d obviously rather see Cam Thomas in an All-Star game than Josh Hart.
The NBA needs to introduce an award that celebrates guys like Alex Caruso or Derrick White—guys who just do everything right on a basketball court.
You always know they will outwork their counterpart on the other team. Your team always has an effort advantage when Josh Hart turns his body into a battering ram with only one concern: winning the game.
And no, I don’t mean the NBA’s weak-ass “Hustle Award”.
In the summer going into the 6th grade, I won the hustle award at a basketball camp. I was objectively the worst player. I cannot recall making a single basket. But I played hard and was the funniest at lunch so I got a trophy but I knew it was the “You Are Bunz But We Like You” Award.
Fuck the Hustle Award. That’s not a fly plaque on the wall. They’re in the group chat making fun of your little trophy.
I see the “Dennis Rodman Award” floating around and I don’t hate that.
If they can turn this photo into a trophy, I could see that being a kind of sweet award to win.
But ultimately, Josh Hart should win the Josh Hart Award for excellence in Josh Harting.
While we’re here, let’s talk more Knicks. Here are some takeaways from the first week of the New York Knicks 2024-25 NBA season.
1. Karl-Anthony Towns is the secret weapon.
Oh, I forgot to mention. Josh Hart had a ton of rebounds against Miami. Had a great game. Blah blah.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 43 points and 13 rebounds. So.
KARL ANTHONY TOWNS TONIGHT
44 POINTS
12 REBOUNDS
17-24 FG
4-5 3PPURRRRRRR
pic.twitter.com/3ZPfvUxDkm— Teg🚨 (@IQfor3) October 31, 2024
Outside of Boston with Kristaps Porzingins, I don’t know any other team with a button they can push to unlock 40+ points from their big man on any given night—especially when their big man isn’t the no.1 scoring option and plays with one of the highest usage point guards.
I have my problems with KAT. He somehow gets shorter whenever he leaves the ground. He isn’t much of a factor in the offensive rebounding game and the Knicks would get the same level of rim protection with a stationary 7-foot ladder.
But you could give him the ball 5 straight times and wind up with a 12-15 point swing. He’s the NOS button in Dom Toretto’s car. A Senzu bean in Goku’s pocket.
I am holding my final KAT praise until he plays against Joel Embiid. Let’s see if he can survive without Embiid sending him to the ICU with an ankle lock or DDT off the opening tip.
2. I don’t care about minutes.
On Friday night, the Knicks starters continued playing the 4th quarter of a 30-point blowout of the Detroit Pistons. I rolled my eyes for a second when Jericho Sims jogged to the bench to bring KAT back in but I like watching these starters play basketball and I refuse to watch with the spectre of injuries whispering through my shitty apartment.
Players can get hurt in the first minutes as easily as in the 48th.
I love that Thibs has these guys busting their ass for the whole game, regardless of the score. This is how you build psychopaths capable of handling the postseason. You stomp the DMT out of the Pistons on a random Friday in early November and suddenly a Game 7 in Boston is a trip to Stop N Shop.
3. Real quick, the Pistons biiiiiiiig stink and I still have no idea how to assess Cade Cunningham. He absolutely takes the most shots. Makes a bunch too. Shrug.
I know he’s only 23 and missed a bunch of time but the former No. 1 overall pick has no control over a game. The offense feels like 5 guys doing their own thing. The defense doesn’t exist. Whether Cade is on the floor or not, it doesn’t matter. The vibes are the same.
Cade needs a new environment. Go full Baker Mayfield and find his Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Actually, let’s do a list inside a list. Let’s do some Cade Cunningham trades off the top of the dome.
I. Cade Cunningham to the Los Angeles Lakers for D’Angelo Russell
JJ Redick can fix him. He’d have to share 1st team practice reps with LeBron’s firstborn but add Cade’s 25 points a game and 41% shooting from 3 to the Lakers and this season might be turned into a Disney movie about a 40-year old GOAT winning a cup with his offspring.
II. Cade Cunningham to the Golden State Warriors for Andrew Wiggins
This one is selfish but I would become a Pistons season ticket holder if they could get Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr and Andrew Wiggins on the floor together. 3 of the biggest stand-in-the-corner merchants, joining forces for one last heist of the Pistons payroll before they ride off into the sunset.
III. Cade Cunningham to the Denver Nuggets for Jamal Murray
Did you know Jamal Murray has never made an All-Star team? Watch him this season and you’ll know why.
He scored 6 points in the Nuggets loss to the Timberwolves Friday night. Sick.
Although, I fear what type of player Cade turns into with Russell Westbrook in his ear. Most of my terrible decisions were with people who always make terrible decisions. There is no worse decision-maker than Russell Westbrook.
4. OG Anunoby does everything right.
It’s not a coincidence the Knicks barely lose games when OG is in the lineup.
He has some prime Kawhi Leonard in him, where he can control an entire defensive possession, dictating where passes are going and making anyone who catches the ball need to overthink their next decision.
Obviously, the prime Kawhi offense hasn’t kicked in yet but OG has great shot selection and knows when it’s time for him to try and get a bucket and when it’s time to pass to Karl and stand in the corner. He sprints down the court on every fastbreak, rarely getting the pass but running full speed regardless.
OG is the biggest difference-maker for the Knicks and I still kind of think he has a higher offensive ceiling he hasn’t broken through yet.
This whole Knicks starting 5 might average 20 a night. This is the best team in the NBA and it’s not even close. Knicks in 4.
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