“Don’t be scared”: Josh Hart fools around with Brook Lopez saying he’s a mismatch in the post for Bucks’ big man
The New York Knicks are currently battling with the Milwaukee Bucks in their NBA In-Season Tournament matchup. Josh Hart, during one of the timeouts, joked around with Bucks big man Brook Lopez. Hart was mic'd up by TNT and we got a glimpse of what he told Lopez. The Knicks guard humorously threatened Lopez, saying that he's a mismatch for the big man.
“I know when you got the ball in the post against me it’s a mismatch," Hart jokingly stated. "Don’t be scared if you gotta pass it out!”
While this may be a joke to Josh Hart, he is slightly speaking some truth here. Despite the position he plays on the hardwood, Hart is one of the best rebounders in the league today, outside of the center position. Josh isn't known for his scoring but the reason teams love having him onboard is due to his hustle to grab the boards.
Josh Hart's uncanny ability to grab rebounds
Josh Hart, although primarily a shooting guard, displayed a remarkable knack for securing rebounds throughout his career, defying traditional positional norms in the NBA. His exceptional rebounding abilities have often surprised fans and analysts, contributing significantly to his team's success.
Now playing in his ninth season, Hart remains on top of the rebounding boards at his position. He is currently averaging 6.2 rebounds per game and is ranked first among all shooting guards in the league. Next on the list of leaders is Anthony Edwards, who has an average of 5.9 rebounds. However, given how good Hart is at grabbing boards, he might remain on top as the season progresses.
Looking at his previous numbers from several seasons ago, the most rebounds Hart ever averaged was in the 2020-21 season when he put up 8.0 RPG. During that year, he led all shooting guards by a huge margin, with the second-placed Donte DiVincenzo only averaging 5.8 RPG. Hart has a knack for grabbing boards and teams love having him on their roster for that reason.
Whether it was positioning himself well, utilizing his athleticism, or simply displaying an innate understanding of reading the trajectory of the ball off the rim, Josh Hart's ability to grab rebounds from the guard position demonstrated his unique skill set and determination on the court.