Maybe wins against the Hornets and Nets earlier this week didn’t do it for you. But Josh Hart’s play in the Knicks’ win over Milwaukee on Friday has to move the needle toward keeping him in the starting lineup.
Hart was everywhere on Friday -- Guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo. Pushing the ball in transition. Play-making as a release to the double-teams on Jalen Brunson. Rebounding the ball.
It was a prototypical Hart game.
If his play in the starting lineup continues, Mike Brown may have to think long and hard about making a permanent change.
Brown in the last three games has gone with Karl-Anthony Towns at center, Mitchell Robinson off the bench and Hart in the lineup.
Hart is averaging seven assists and 12 rebounds per game in that span.
Again, you can brush off those numbers when they come against the Hornets and Nets, but in a highly competitive game against Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, Hart’s performance was crucial.
“He played well on both sides of the ball. He’s in a good rhythm right now,” Brunson said after the game. “Just need him to stick with that. He’s a key part, an X-factor in what we do.”
Speaking of lineups, Brown sounds like a coach who wants to see more of Robinson off the bench.
Earlier in the season, Brown seemed to favor starting Robinson alongside Towns, but the big man has come off the bench in each of his last two games.
“I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far,” Brown said after Robinson’s six points, seven rebounds and two steals off the bench Friday.
“Mitch has given us a great punch off the bench. His ability to offensive rebound against starters and backups has been huge for us. So he has to keep bringing that to the table. So he gives us a different look in the starting lineup and then gives us a different look when he comes off the bench.”
The guess here is that Robinson will continue to come off the bench if everyone is healthy.
When everyone does return, though, the big question for Brown will be whether to keep Hart in the starting lineup over options such as Landry Shamet and Miles McBride.
MVP TALK FOR BRUNSON
Brunson had 37 points on 21 shots on Friday night. He was on fire in the third quarter (16 points, 7-8 FG's) then made all the right reads in the fourth quarter when Milwaukee sent a second defender at him.
He has scored 27 or more points in each of the past seven games.
“He should be talked about right now -- it’s early -- but as a potential MVP,” Brown said after the game. “There’s not enough chatter which -- it’s early -- so I’m not throwing a fit -- but the guy had 37 tonight on 12-of-21. And he gets blitzed often and he makes the right basketball play. He basically did what he was supposed to do and that’s why I don’t talk about it a lot because that’s what he’s capable of doing and that’s what he’s supposed to do being of that stature.
“But hopefully you guys and your peers will start really talking the right way about this young man in terms of him having some MVP talk because that’s what he is,” Brown said, referring to the media. “We’re not playing the best basketball right now but we’re trending in the right direction and he’s the engine behind it So to me, he just did what he’s supposed to do, which equates to him being the MVP of the league.”
Brown also praised another Knick point guard on Friday -- he likes what he’s seen from Tyler Kolek lately.
Kolek had five points (all off of Hart assists), two steals and an assist in 10 minutes against Milwaukee.
This continues a strong week overall for the youngster who chipped in five assists and three rebounds against Brooklyn, then seven points and three assists against Charlotte.
“I didn’t play him as much as I wanted to tonight but the last two games when he’s gotten minutes, he’s been really good defensively,” Brown said. “He’s been really physical without fouling. He’s been really good pushing the basketball and distributing the basketball while getting us into our offense. I expect nothing but that from him and again I wished I’d played him a little longer because again, (he’s) on a pretty good run.”
