New York Knicks forward Josh Hart is on the heels of a rough preseason, at least from a scoring standpoint. Hart can be relied on to consistently rack up assists and rebounds, but he scored only two points across four preseason games.
It’s not like his scoring woes can be fully attributed to a lack of playing time, as he averaged 22.5 minutes of action per game during the preseason.
Hart admitted that he doesn’t know what’s behind his offensive slump and also implied that he’s open to coming off the bench in New York’s season opener against the defending NBA champions — the Boston Celtics — on Tuesday.
Josh Hart after just 2 points in preseason: “I’m lost. I have no idea. There’s a couple days before Boston. So whether that’s trying to get a rhythm with that starting unit or we give somebody else a look and my role changes and comes off the bench and go with that unit.”
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) October 19, 2024
But when Jalen Brunson was asked about Hart’s above comments, he came to the defense of his teammate and shouldered the blame for the latter’s subpar play.
Asked Jalen Brunson about Josh Hart's comments on being "lost." Brunson faulted himself for not being a better leader and teammate. #knicks
— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) October 20, 2024
Jalen Brunson on Josh Hart: “From my point of view, I just feel like we need to be better as teammates to make sure we’re all on the same page or we’re all giving each other confidence regardless. That starts with me.” #Knicks
— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) October 20, 2024
In Hart’s defense, the Knicks are working new players into their offense in Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges and now have plenty of mouths to feed on that end, so that could have played a part in his limited role offensively during the preseason. While he isn’t devoid of blame for scoring only two points during the team’s preseason matchups, he simply didn’t have many opportunities to score the ball.
He took just six shots from the field in four games, and against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 13, he did not attempt a single shot from the field.
While Hart was more or less a non-factor from a scoring standpoint during New York’s exhibition stint, it would still probably be the right move for the Knicks to start him against Boston. With all of the offense firepower that the Knicks have in their starting lineup, Hart doesn’t need to carry the scoring load when he’s on the floor.
Hart’s trademark NBA skill isn’t even scoring the ball either. As aforementioned, he’s a voracious rebounder for his size, and he pulled down 8.3 per contest during the 2023-24 regular season.
Hopefully, Hart can put his preseason play in the rearview mirror and help the Knicks steal a win at TD Garden against Jayson Tatum and company.
