How Josh Hart has replaced Isaiah Hartenstein's role with the Knicks

Hart has become the heart, soul, and driving force behind the Knicks' success this season. Much of that has to do with his passing and nose for rebounds.

If you’ve ever needed a literal visualization of what a New York Knicks player built in a lab run by Tom Thibodeau should look like or play like, you’d have your answer in watching Josh Hart perform every night as one.

His passing, ball handling, and rebounding have all combined to do something that felt impossible to do going into this season - replicate the production lost from Isaiah Hartenstein’s departure in free agency.

Now, rebounding has yet to be a huge issue for New York this season. Karl-Anthony Towns has made sure that the glass is cleaned, averaging 13.7 rebounds per game so far. But, the second best rebounder on the Knicks is Hart by far, going for 8.8 per game and recently 10+ rebounds per game as he’s racked up triple doubles.

Hartenstein last year was a hub for activity for the Knicks, especially in the restricted area and at the nail. With Towns now playing at the 5 for New York, you can have him roam around the three point line and Hart become the replacement at Hartenstein’s old stomping grounds.

As a result, Hart is averaging a career best 5.7 assists per game. He’s the man with his head on a swivel for the Knicks with the ball in his hands when Towns isn’t driving and kicking from the paint, or when Jalen Brunson isn’t the one pushing the ball up the floor.

Here, we see a trailing Towns benefitting from Hart’s control of the ball - even with Brunson on the floor, he can be a capable trigger for plays. With Brunson in the corner and Anunoby and Bridges spaced out from three, Philadelphia’s defenders don’t see a clear reason to come to Hart on the ball. Unfortunately for them, that completely opened up a clean shot for Towns as the trail man.

His nail help, which was something Hartenstein was really proficient at last season, is key this season for New York.

Hart acted as the perfect middle man on this sequence from the nail, something I preach is one of his greatest attributes as a distributor with the Knicks. He cuts there to help Brunson, who’s being doubled by Caleb Martin and Andre Drummond at the three line. This allowed, once again, for Towns to park himself from three and get an open look.

Hart, instead, sees an even wider look - Bridges in the corner, his most efficient shot from where he’s averaging 46.4 from the left and a whopping 52.5 percent from the right.

With Brunson carrying the ball up the floor most often, though, Hart can act as the conveyor belt that ensures the ball just keeps chugging along. But, even if he doesn’t have an option avaialble to him to pass to, he’s been efficient from the field as a shooter. He’s averaging 38 percent on his threes this season, and is always a lay up afficianado.

With the newfound spacing for the Knicks courtesy not just Towns, but Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, Hart has also been able to find a comfortable home as the Knicks’ best facilitator in transition. Last year, it felt like when he’d push the pace, the only benefactor would be Donte DiVincenzo.

This year, with three additional sharp shooters who can run the floor with him in Bridges, Anunoby, and Towns, he’s feasting after steals - which Anunoby is 10th in the league in with 51, so far.

As for his rebounding, that’s a skill he’s always possessed while with the Knicks. With Hartenstein no longer on the floor to clean things up alongside him - especially when New York’s bench unit with no true backup 5 enters the game - he’s been the de facto “center” that’s repeatedly grabbed back breaking boards.

So, was it much ado about nothing to have worried about Hartenstein’s leaving this offseason as it pertained to how dynamic he was as a facilitator and rebounder? Maybe - the Knicks, after all, still don’t have a true backup center to Towns, and he would've been the best backup 5 in the NBA had he stayed in New York.

But, as long as Hart is on the floor - which is often, as he’s averaging 37.3 minutes per game - the Knicks have someone who can replicate a lot of what made Hartenstein such a fit for their team and rotations.