Tom Thibodeau says newly acquired Josh Hart gives the Knicks ‘heart’ ... and ‘toughness’
Tom Thibodeau’s attraction to Josh Hart’s game goes back years, when the Knicks coach was running the front office in Minnesota and contemplating prospects in the 2017 draft.
“Watching Jimmy [Butler] in college, and the things he did at Marquette, Josh reminded me of that,” said Thibodeau, who coached Butler in Chicago and Minnesota. “The things that he did at Villanova. There’s just something about him. Those type of players, they give your team heart, they give your team toughness, and that goes a long way.”
Thibodeau doesn’t make comparisons lightly. In that regard, he’s the anti-David Fizdale, who was so loose with such sound bytes he once compared Chandler Parsons to LeBron James and Lance Thomas to Draymond Green.
To be clear, Hart is not Jimmy Butler. Thibodeau made that evident when he traded for the real Butler during that 2017 draft, while Hart fell to the Lakers at No. 30 (via draft night trade with the Utah Jazz).
But the interest never really faded. As the Daily News reported, Thibodeau wanted to acquire Hart last year before he was dealt from the Pelicans to the Blazers. And when they finally got together in New York last week, the production was instantaneous.
It took two games with the Knicks for Hart to score his season-high after 51 games with the Blazers. His 27 points Monday in a victory over the Nets also tied the fourth-most of Hart’s six-year career.
Not a bad introduction.
“I know the teams that I’ve been with since he’s been in the league, we’ve always had interest in him,” Thibodeau said. “If you coach against or you play against him, those are the types of guys that you respect. You respect a fierce competitor. Obviously, he’s got great talent. He wouldn’t be here without great talent. But his competitive spirit is special.”
The biggest concern about Hart was the dropoff this season in his 3-point shooting, which fell rather dramatically in volume and efficiency. He was down to about 30% before the trade, which was quickly forgotten, or at least pushed aside, after swapping uniforms. In two games with the Knicks, Hart has connected on 6 of 9 from beyond the arc.
He credited the faith from Thibodeau, who provided Hart the thumbs-up to launch 3-pointers whenever the mood strikes. How green is Hart’s light?
“Ultra green,” Thibodeau said.
It was a different setup in Portland, where Hart was restricted to bystander status around three scorers — Dame Lillard, Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant.
“I’ve been in several different systems. This is my sixth coach in six years,” Hart said. “So, it’s taken a little while to get used to, but it’s definitely a green light. It’s not something that I had before, and I’m not mad about it. I wasn’t frustrated about it. It was just the style that we had in Portland. So now I come here and he’s giving me the ability to make plays, to do ball screens, get dribble handoffs and like you said, just have the ultimate green light, so it gives me that confidence. So now those catch-and-shoot shots are more in rhythm.”
Nobody expects Hart to continue shooting 67% on 3-pointers while averaging 20 points. That’s not why the Knicks gave up a first-round pick. The offense is a bonus to the intensity and rebounding, which makes Hart a strong match for the Knicks coach. To put it another way: the team swapped out a player that Thibodeau never wanted (Cam Reddish) for a player he always coveted (Hart).
Not quite Jimmy Butler but noteworthy that Thibodeau drew the connection.
“Take on the role of kinda being that do-it-all or that swiss army knife and whatever we need that night, I feel like that’s me,” Hart said.
