New York Knicks forward Josh Hart recently expressed discomfort with his role, citing a desire for more ball touches to maintain his rhythm on the court.
The 28-year-old shooting guard emphasized his preference as a rhythm player, finding it challenging to thrive solely as a catch-and-shoot option.
“I’m a rhythm player. So sometimes if I don’t touch the ball for four or five minutes running up and down the floor, just catch-and-shoot, I might as well be playing with a football,” he explained, per Stefan Bondy of New York Post.
However, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has a differing perspective, stating, per Ian Begley, “To be honest, his usage is up. He’s handling the ball more. The way he’s being used is not any different than last year. He’s pushing the ball in transition. He hasn’t shot the three as well as he did last year.”
Thibodeau pointed out that Hart’s increased ball-handling opportunities should contribute to his rhythm on the court. Despite this, Hart’s statistics have dipped from the previous season.
Hart’s numbers have seen a decrease, going from 10.2 points with impressive shooting percentages (58.6% field goals (6.3 attempts per game) and 51.9% three-pointers (2.1 attempts per game)) to 7.7 points with lower percentages (44.5% field goals (7 attempts per game) and 30.8% three-pointers (3.1 attempts per game)).
