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Josh Hart’s Triple-Double Exemplifies His Knicks Value

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Josh Hart has been a key part of the Knicks success.

When the Knicks traded for Josh Hart from the Trail Blazers, no one in New York had any idea of how transformative he’d be for the franchise. He was surely known as a solid player with a versatile skillset and was famously a Villanova teammate with NY’s burgeoning superstar, Jalen Brunson. However, there was no indication that he’d ingratiate himself into New York culture so easily, becoming a fan favorite who represents the city in a way few Knicks ever have. Hart’s latest in a growing list of triple-doubles exemplified the impact he’s made on the organization in just two years.

Josh Hart’s Triple-Double Exemplifies His Knicks Value

On Wednesday night, New York went into Philly needing a win in the worst way. Losers of five of seven in embarrassing fashion, critics were all over the team for their glaring weaknesses and poor recent effort. Although they are relatively safe in the standings, the Knicks needed to get their season back on track.

They did just that in a crazy overtime victory after blowing a 15-point lead despite controlling the game. A defeat would’ve been devastating but Hart, alongside Brunson, simply wouldn’t let the team lose. Hart’s entire skillset was on display in his 10-point, 17-rebound, 12-assist outing. He was dynamite pushing the ball in transition, was the team’s primary playmaker, crashed the glass on both ends and seemed to come up with every loose ball possible.

Hart’s Impact as a Playmaker

In this outing, Hart showcased impressive passing versatility. He hit backdoor cuts, dimed several players in transition, ran traditional point guard, and threw a perfect lob to Mikal Bridges for the dunk that effectively iced the game. NY should consider allowing him to bring the ball up the floor more to alleviate pressure on Brunson’s nightly workload. Tom Thibodeau can feel confident with Hart at the helm.

Knicks fans are endlessly appreciative of what Hart contributes on a nightly basis, but NBA fans everywhere should take notice. His all-around skill set has always been obvious, but he has elevated his offensive game to a new level this year. As we saw in this game, Hart has been a secondary point guard for NY’s prolific offense, spelling Brunson for valuable rest minutes.

He also has perfected playing out of the pocket on pick-and-rolls with his college teammate, capitalizing on the four-on-three advantages. Lastly, Hart’s jump shot (36.9% from three) is finally hitting consistently, both in catch-and-shoot situations and off the dribble. He’s always been great at beating the shot clock with off-balance jumpers, but this year, he’s done it more often than ever. If Hart can continue his good shooting, it eliminates one of New York’s main worries heading into 2024-25.

Hart Approaching Knicks Royalty With Triple-Doubles 

Hart is breaking new boundaries for undersized players with his ridiculous performances. He is three triple-doubles away from tying Knicks legend Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier‘s single-season record after recording his fifth last night. He’s also setting records at just 6-foot-4, with his 9.6 rebounds per game ranking first amongst players shorter than 6-foot-8.

Hart is first in rebounds for a guard, second in double-doubles, fourth in triple-doubles, and fourth in rebounds plus assists. There seems to be no limit to what he can do on the court and New York is embracing his toughness like no other. Josh Hart’s triple-double last night was just the latest example.

The post Josh Hart’s Triple-Double Exemplifies His Knicks Value appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.