New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown is learning that rational approaches must be set aside when it comes to deploying Josh Hart. Last year\u2019s leader in minutes played, Hart was relegated to a bench role upon Brown\u2019s arrival. But injuries to OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet have thrust the 30-year-old back into the starting lineup, and he\u2019s running with his chance.<\/p>\n
\nNov 30, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts to a call in the first quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
During the Knicks\u2019 four-game winning streak, which just so happens to coincide with his first four starts of the season, Hart is averaging 17 points, 11.8 rebounds, and seven assists in 36 minutes per night. He shot 8-of-12 from the field with 20 points and 12 rebounds in Sunday night\u2019s 116-94 victory over the Toronto Raptors, where Brown has officially learned his lesson about limiting Hart\u2019s minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll take the hit on that,\u201d Brown said. \u201c\u2026The tough part was, I\u2019ll back it up further, he didn\u2019t really play in the preseason. He didn\u2019t even really practice in the preseason. For me, I was behind the eight ball trying to figure out how to incorporate him with what we were trying to do. It just took time\u2026 His sacrifice was unbelievable because when I took him out, he just sat. When I called his number, he went out and played\u2026 \u201cHe\u2019s a special player, but he\u2019s also a great human being to be around.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brown now finds himself in an approaching conundrum. If Anunoby\u2019s rehab continues at this current pace, he\u2019ll be back toward the end of the month to assume his duties at the 4. Slotting Hart at the 3 would allow Brunson and Bridges to return to their respective natural roles as point guard and shooting guard. Brunson started Sunday at the 2 and Bridges at the 3 with Miles McBride starting at the 1. McBride would likely return to the bench, but it\u2019s a necessary choice to make to keep Hart and the Knicks clicking like this.<\/p>\n
In conclusion, Mike Brown has learned that Josh Hart is a force to be reckoned with when given more playing time. With Hart’s impressive performance in his first four starts of the season, it’s clear that he’s an essential part of the Knicks’ lineup. As the team navigates upcoming lineup decisions, it will be interesting to see how Brown chooses to utilize Hart’s skills.<\/p>\n
Q: What is Josh Hart’s current role on the Knicks?
\nA: Josh Hart is currently starting for the Knicks due to injuries to OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet.
\nQ: How has Hart performed in his first four starts of the season?
\nA: Hart is averaging 17 points, 11.8 rebounds, and seven assists in 36 minutes per night during the Knicks’ four-game winning streak.
\nQ: What will happen to the lineup when Anunoby returns from rehab?
\nA: Anunoby’s return will likely lead to Hart being slotted at the 3, allowing Brunson and Bridges to return to their natural roles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Introduction to Josh Hart’s Emergence New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown is learning that rational approaches must be set aside when it comes to deploying Josh Hart. Last year\u2019s leader in minutes played, Hart was relegated to a bench role upon Brown\u2019s arrival. But injuries to OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet have thrust the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":26046,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-26044","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/www.amny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-12-01T001758Z_2124538109_MT1USATODAY27712864_RTRMADP_3_NBA-TORONTO-RAPTORS-AT-NEW-YORK-KNICKS.jpg?quality=51&w=384&w=384&resize=384,255&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26044"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26044"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26044\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26047,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26044\/revisions\/26047"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}