After losing the last game in their promising preseason campaign, Knicks star Josh Hart scratched his head in confusion. It’s safe to say that the NY side has gone through a lot of changes from where they started their 2023-24 campaign. A positive change indeed, bringing in encouraging changes like OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns. However, these changes seem to be not working for the forward, as he makes a concerning confession.

Following the loss against the Washington Wizards, in which Hart managed to drop only 2 points in his 25-minute, shared his perspective. Hart said, “I’m lost. I have no idea. There’s a couple days before Boston. So whether that’s trying to get a rhythm with that starting unit or we give somebody else a look and my role changes and comes off the bench and go with that unit.” 

Importantly, Josh Hart managed to score only two points in the entire preseason. In the 5 games, the Knicks forward went scoreless on three occasions and sat out for the game against the Hornets. At the same time, it didn’t make much impact on the team’s offensive run, thanks to Kat and Jalen Brunson.

However, there’s a growing concern about Hart’s performance. In the last season, when the Big Apple side struggled with a bundle of injuries, the 29-year-old stepped up, clocking in unusual minutes for the team. He ended the season, averaging 9.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, and 4.1 apg. Well, did the Villanova break-up affect Hart? We don’t know, but it certainly must have influenced his game. Heading into the 2024 offseason, the Knicks side was already dominated by Villanova boys and to further strengthen it, the team roped in Mikal Bridges. However, before it could even take off, the team traded out Donte DiVincenzo.

Should Josh Hart come off the bench?

In the last season, Josh Hart started only 23 games and took care of bench duties. In fact, it has been four seasons since he started for at least 40 games. This makes it clear that Hart is relatively out of touch as a starter. Looking at his concerning confession, the star isn’t clear about either getting his rhythm back or making way for someone else in the starting lineup.

Looking at the Knicks depth chart, Cameron Payne can get a call-up to the starting lineup as a shooting guard while Mikal Bridges can take over the small forward position. Moreover, it’s only till Mitchell Robinson makes a comeback from his ankle injury. Once he does, Robinson will take over the center position while Town will head to his usual power forward position. However, the big man will not make it to the roster at least till the new year.

So, until then, Coach Thibs will have to figure out a solution before the start of the season, which is only a couple of days before they face the Boston Celtics. What do you think? Should Josh Hart try his luck as a starter and get his rhythm back? Let us know in the comments.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.