Josh Hart didn’t sugarcoat what the Knicks are dealing with after another night spent digging out of a hole.
New York dropped a 98-93 decision at Philadelphia on Friday, slipping to 2-4, and Hart said the team is feeling the wear and tear. According to comments relayed by Posting and Toasting, he said the group feels tired, needs to be more deliberate with its movement, and has to find a way to prepare physically.
Hart finished with seven points, six rebounds and three assists, but the bigger story was the way the Knicks spent much of the game chasing. They turned it over 13 times and shot 35-for-86, and even though a late push trimmed the deficit, the slow start forced them to burn energy that could have been saved for later.
That’s where the issue gets tricky. Fatigue can help explain why the offense looked sluggish, but it doesn’t wipe away every mistake. The Knicks are still expected to execute, and there’s room for the coaching staff to make things easier early by simplifying the first actions and spreading the workload before possessions bog down late in the clock.
One possible answer is to rethink how creation is shared between the starters and the bench rather than simply trimming Hart’s minutes. He still brings value as a rebounder and defender, while reserve guards could take on more ball-handling in certain stretches. But any adjustment has to account for what the Knicks give up on the other end.
Another path is to leave the rotation alone and trust the defending champions to settle in. With only six games played, that’s not an unreasonable stance. Even so, Hart’s comments point to a physical issue the team has to manage while the losses pile up.
The Knicks’ next chance comes against Brooklyn, and a cleaner opening would at least give the staff a better read on whether any changes are actually taking hold.
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Brunsons impact has been easy to see in the box score and in the on-court metrics, where the Knicks have looked different with him on the floor. The bigger question is how much of the early-season profile is sustainable if the scoring efficiency wobbles from night to night, because his usage and the teams overall rhythm are so tightly connected. For a Knicks team trying to set its tone early, Brunsons start has been encouraging, but it also leaves one important issue hanging over the next few weeks. [Read more 🡒]