Knicks' Josh Hart having a hard time getting in rhythm
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart and head coach Tom Thibodeau during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 20, 2023, in Minneapolis. Credit: AP/Abbie Parr
Is Josh Hart feeling like the odd man out?
When asked about his plummeting three-point percentage this season, Hart hinted that he wasn’t happy about the fact he’s being used as more of a power forward off the bench this season.
“Just trying to get in a rhythm. I think that’s the biggest thing,” Hart said after practice Monday. “I’m a rhythm player, not someone that’s just a catch-and-shoot three-point shooter that really only does that. That’s not really what I do.
“I’m more someone who can get in the lane and find guys and stuff like that, and I’m capable of making shots. When you don’t have a rhythm like that or you don’t feel included, it’s just sometimes that’s tough not touching it and having to catch and shoot. So, it’s definitely something I’m working on and hopefully getting in a better rhythm.”
Hart is shooting 28.6% from three-point range this season after connecting on 51.9% from long distance in 25 regular-season games for the Knicks last season following a February trade from Portland. Interestingly, he has averaged 3.1 three-point attempts in his 16 games this season, compared to 2.1 with the Knicks last season.
When asked to elaborate on what he meant when he said he didn’t “feel included,” Hart started to talk about being an energy guy who needed “to get in that rhythm” and then cut himself short before adding “sometimes it’s tough.”
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is not worried about Hart’s lower three-point percentage.
“You don’t get those shots without people working together to create those shots. He’s done a good job of creating them. We don’t want him hesitating,” Thibodeau said last week. “He’s put work in. A lot of them have gone in and out, and I believe in the end he’ll be there. You guys hear me say it all the time, the game tells you what to do. If you’re open, you’ve got to shoot. He’s not going to hesitate. He’s been around a long time.”
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
