The Los Angeles Lakers found a diamond in the rough of last year's draft when they traded for rookie shooting guard Josh Hart. While he has quickly earned a reputation in the league, Hart still sees himself in the ‘gray area' of the Lakers' mixture of versatile players, according to Paolo Uggetti of The Ringer.
“I’m like in a gray area,” Hart tells me after a Lakers practice in late September. Asked where he sees himself fitting into the retooled Lakers lineup, the second-year shooting guard shrugs. “I have no idea. You have the young core, and then you have the best player on the planet, and then you have the vets, so I’m just floating around. It’s challenging, but it is what it is.”
Hart emerged as a quality two-way threat for the young Lakers last season. He was also named MVP of this year's Summer League, posting impressive averages of 22.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.
Uggetti also says Hart has been working on his strength and conditioning, a powerful tool he could use to defend multiple positions across the floor.
In addition to skill work to make himself more of a versatile offensive threat, Hart says he focused on getting stronger and more fit. He went back to Villanova, where he won a championship in 2016, and trained with Wildcats strength and conditioning coach John Shackleton.
While Hart doesn't share as much of the limelight because his teammates make more of the highlight plays, he has the potential to be the valuable glue guy of the Lakers.
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