Knicks' Josh Hart showing his versatile skill set could be key to making starting group work

You can call off that search party for Josh Hart.

Hart, you may remember, declared at the end of a subpar preseason that he felt lost in the Knicks new starting lineup, that he just couldn’t find his rhythm playing alongside so many players who need the ball in their hands.

Ten games into the regular season, Hart’s game is far from missing. In fact, it may very well be the very presence — the much-needed versatile piece — that makes this starting group work.

Hart’s triple double Tuesday night in Philadelphia helped push the Knicks to a 111-99 win over the 76ers, spoiling Joel Embiid’s return to play. He finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Hart has scored in double figures in every game of this young season.

The victory meant that the Knicks could take a 5-5 record into Wednesday night’s game against Chicago at Madison Square Garden. Hart enters the game averaging a career high in both rebounds (9.3) and assists (5.6).

In the mode of John Starks, Hart wears his heart on his sleeve and has a flair for the overly dramatic. This may be the reason his teammates and coaches weren’t overly worried when he aired his concerns about fitting in at the start of the season.

“A lot of what he says, you have to let go in one ear and out the other,” Thibodeau said after the win in Philadelphia. “He likes to hear himself talk. With that being said, I love Josh.”

What Thibodeau loves most about Hart is his versatility and how he is able to make the most of the different opportunities he has to impact a game.

Hart is playing alongside three starters — Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges — who averaged 28.7, 21.8 and 19.6 points respectively last season. He knows he’s never going to be the top offensive option, but he can score when his team needs it. He can do other things, like find the open man and rebound like someone six inches taller.

“I’m out there just trying to connect the dots,” Hart said.

Hart has been called an East Coast Draymond Green. He’s never going to be the best player on his team or even the second best. But there will be a number of games where he is the most important given the versatility of his skill set.

“He brings pace. He can push the ball and make a play and play off people,” Thibodeau said. “He’s a great cutter. And so, he’s just a basketball player. He’s comfortable in the paint, he’s comfortable at the rim. He’s comfortable just making plays in transition.

“He can initiate offense for you. He can guard everyone. He has a great knack for the ball. Range rebounds. Go get them from anywhere. Give you extra possessions. I think that goes a long way. Those hustle plays are huge for the team.”

Hart said he didn’t realize that a triple-double was in the works in Philadelphia until he looked up at the scoreboard and saw he had 10 assists.

“I was like, ‘Oh wow, nice.’” He said. “I’m not going to say that’s my job, but in that unit a lot of times people think it’s just about points — whoever scores the most points has to start. My job in that unit is to rebound, bring energy . . . I got four guys that shoot high 30s if not 40s from three, that can finish in various different ways.

“What I want to do is get in the paint, kick out, have guys getting involved, feeling good. When those guys feel good offensively and defensively we’re a heck of a team.”

A team that Hart said is still finding out about one another.

"We’re just 10 games into the season. We’ve got all of you all crying about how we look, offensive, defensively. Some people [are] ready to pack the season in, some people saying we lost our identity. We don’t listen to it . . . Our goal isn’t to be the best team we can be in Game 4. It’s to be the best that we can be in Game 82.”

By Barbara Barker

barbara.barker@newsday.commeanbarb

Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.