"I’m lost" - Josh Hart sounds puzzled on his unclear role with Knicks ahead of season opener game vs Celtics
After playing a key role in the New York Knicks' success last season, Josh Hart now faces uncertainty about his role in the upcoming season. Last year, Hart emerged as one of coach Tom Thibodeau's go-to players late in the season, stepping up after key injuries to players like Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson.
The Knicks completed two blockbuster trades to acquire Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns in the offseason. As they head into the new season, Hart is uncertain where he fits into the team's rotations.
“I’m lost. I have no idea,” Hart said in an interview with Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “There’s a couple days before we have until 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.
"So just trying to figure out right now I pretty much have no idea. But we’ll see what happens in Boston (in the season opener Tuesday).”
Of course, as Bondy pointed out, Josh Hart made similar comments last season, and by the end of the year, he was one of the Knicks' most impactful players on both ends of the floor.
Looking at the 2024-25 season ahead for the New York Knicks following Josh Hart's comments
Expectations are sky-high for the Knicks after the team made an impressive postseason run despite injuries to Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson.
They made it to the second round of the playoffs and were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in a closely contested seven-game series. Then, to bolster their roster for the season ahead, the team made an early offseason acquisition for Mikal Bridges.
With his pace of play and his high motor, Bridges is a player who could very well be an X-factor for New York this season. However, Knicks president Leon Rose wasn't done there.
Earlier this month, the Knicks completed a three-team trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Charlotte Hornets, sending Julius Randle to the Twin Cities along with Donte DiVincenzo in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns.
Now, with players such as Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, Towns and Bridges, the Knicks will look to capitalize on the team's championship window in the 2024-25 season ahead.
Action will begin on Tuesday when the Knicks face the Boston Celtics on the road before their home opener on Friday against the Pacers.