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The New York Knicks upgraded their roster last weekend, adding four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for a package built around Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. While the deal bought the Knicks some time while center Mitchell Robinson continues to rehab his surgically repaired left ankle, it simultaneously created a void at power forward. But that could be end up becoming a blessing in disguise, as it enables coach Tom Thibodeau to unleash Josh Hart.
Hart is a legitimate player. His impact has been slightly above average throughout his career. However, he looked like a man possessed last season after being inserted into the starting lineup, out of necessity. After Randle and OG Anunoby both went down with injuries in late January, Thibodeau and the Knicks turned to Hart.
What does Josh Hart add as a starter?
Prior to entering the starting lineup, Hart averaged 6.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 0.7 steals in 27.1 minutes per game. But he shifted into a new gear after joining the starters, averaging 11.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.1 steals in 39.3 minutes per game.
Further, the Knicks remained afloat last season after losing three starters (Randle, Anunoby, and Robinson), and they turned it up a notch after Anunoby returned in March. In total, New York went 21-15 with Hart in the starting lineup.
What did Hart add to the first unit? A lot. First of all, his motor is incredibly apparent. Hart pushes the ball up the floor with reckless abandon after grabbing defensive rebounds. Does his breakneck pace put his teammates in compromised positions at times? Sure. But the pressure that Hart puts on defenses by overzealously pushing the ball is a net positive.
Hart also added rebounding. Granted, he replaced Randle (or Anunoby, depending on how you see Hart's place in the lineup). But either way, Hart was a better rebounder after entering the starting rotation than either Randle (9.2 rebounds per game) or Anunoby (44 rebounds per game).
What must Josh Hart improve to optimize Knicks' starting lineup?
One thing that hurt the Knicks with Hart as a starter, was his shooting. Hart made only 31% of his pedestrian 3.2 three-point attempts per game. Essentially, he turned down lots of threes and only launched them when he was wide open.
But the Knicks have leveled up for the 2024-25 season in terms of shooters, adding a career 37.5% three-point shooter in Mikal Bridges and possibly the best shooting center of all-time in Towns to their starting lineup. So, Hart's presence on the floor won't hurt the team's' spacing as much this season as it did win 2023-24.
Hart gave a glimpse of what he can do when confident. He connected on 43.5% of his three-pointers in the Knicks' first-round matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. And he was far less shy in that series than in the regular season, shooting an astonishing 6.2 three-pointers per game.
Further, Hart re-committed himself to working with his shooting coach, Mark Ramljak, this off-season, which comes after a truncated workout schedule last off-season. What's more, Hart was allegedly scheduled to workout with the former marksman (and his former teammate), JJ Reddick, as well.
“We’re gonna work on the shot this summer. We’ve already committed to each other,” JJ Redick said on his “Old Man and the Three” podcast in March.
It's unclear if that happened before Reddick accepted the role as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in late June.
Ultimately, it's unclear if Thibodeau goes with Hart in the starting rotation, or if he chooses to go smaller with McBride as the fifth starter. But objectively, Hart has the stronger case to join the starters for the beginning of the 2024-25 season.
How else might Karl-Anthony Towns impact Knicks' rotation?
Towns' presence also introduces interesting options at center. The Knicks will likely begin the season with Towns as their starting center. Once Robinson returns, they can experiment with playing Towns at the power forward spot alongside Robinson, or they can bring Robinson off the bench. Considering Robinson's injury history, the latter might end up being more attractive, at least for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
However, playing Robinson and Towns together against bigger opponents in the playoffs can be quite attractive, too. Towns played a majority of his minutes last season at the four alongside Rudy Gobert. So, it would not be unfamiliar territory.
At the end of the day, the Towns' addition is about more than adding a center. His style of play provides the Knicks with more options. And his presence should enable Hart, Anunoby, Bridges, McBride, and Jalen Brunson to operate with more space. And that's never a bad thing. But the proof will ultimately be in the pudding.
