Tracy McGrady has no doubt: Josh Hart is the Knicks’ X-Factor
In the NBA Playoffs, the Knicks have found a steady force in Josh Hart: constant presence, sacrifice and an increasingly decisive role in Mike Brown’s rotations
The win in Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers carried extra value for the New York Knicks beyond protecting home-court advantage: Mike Brown’s team earned its first clutch victory of these Playoffs after winning each of its previous five games by double digits.
The message to the rest of the contenders was clear and urgent: the Knicks know how to win even when they have to grind. On a difficult night from three-point range, Jalen Brunson and company searched for alternative solutions, tightening up defensively to create steals and transition chances, even at the cost of committing a few more fouls. Karl-Anthony Towns paid the price in the first half, already saddled with three fouls before intermission.
During their usual daily conversation on the Cousins channel, Tracy McGrady chose his key player on the best offensive team of this postseason, a group clearly led by Brunson’s leadership.
I’m going with Josh Hart. He’s one of those players where the stats don’t tell everything he does. He knows how to come out of nowhere, grab offensive rebounds and immediately kick it out to the shooter in the corner – last time it was Mikal Bridges. He’s always in the right spot and on defense he does whatever is needed; then when he knocks down those two or three threes, you really understand how important his contribution is
Tracy McGrady
T-Mac didn’t stop at praising the work of No. 3 in service of the team: according to him, Hart’s impact on Knicks results is comparable to another player currently chasing an NBA title with his teammates.
What makes him special is energy, effort and intelligence: that’s what he brings to the floor. That’s him. He’s the perimeter version of Jarrett Allen
Tracy McGrady
McGrady’s comments came before Game 2, where, as expected, Hart once again showed his importance across the different lineups Brown used throughout the game.
The summer market was supposed to give the former Kings coach a deeper bench for the decisive stages of the season. In reality, when the game remains close, the first player called on for heavy minutes is always his trusted defensive specialist, who stayed on the floor for 44 minutes. The previous overuse during the Tom Thibodeau era now looks less and less like an extreme decision driven by rigid beliefs.