Knicks X-Factor Not Who You’d Expect

The New York Knicks have a lot of moving pieces to make their team work, but there might not be a player more valuable to the team on both ends of the floor than forward Josh Hart.

HoopsHype contributor Mike Shearer named Hart as the team’s X-Factor.

“Sure, teams will guard him with their centers, but that’s okay,” Shearer writes. “That hasn’t stopped him from vacuuming up 2.4 offensive rebounds per game en route to double-digit boards. Hart pushes the pace, makes timely cuts and passes, and generally does the little things that contribute to winning without showing up on the box score. There are times when the lack of consistent shooting will hurt, but there are so many more times when everything else Hart brings to the table makes up for it.”

So far this season, Hart is averaging 13.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, posting some of the best numbers in his career.

Hart may not fill the stat sheet as much as point guard Jalen Brunson or big man Karl-Anthony Towns, but he makes up for it with the things you don’t see in the box score.

Hart’s movement on the offensive side of the court without the ball often goes unnoticed, but by making those right moves, he helps the offense flow tremendously.

Defensively, Hart gives the effort necessary for a team coached by Tom Thibodeau. The hustle and passion Hart has on defense allows the Knicks to be aggressive on that end, which also turns into some offense with easy buckets in transition.

Hart and the Knicks will look to get things back on track when they take on the Atlanta Hawks in their next matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET from State Farm Arena.

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