Josh Hart 2024 NBA Playoff Scouting Report: Dissecting New York Knicks guard's impact and minutes

Josh Hart and the New York Knicks have made it to the postseason and can perhaps make noise in the playoffs, even though they've lost Julius Randle for the season. Hart's 2023-24 season, his second with the Knicks, is inarguably the best in his seven-year career. Entering the playoffs, his presence on the floor will be crucial for New York.

Mostly lost behind the stars’ names on his team's roster, Hart has earned the nickname “Ironman” with the Knicks. Recently, he became the only player after Clyde Frazier and Jerry Lucas in franchise history to play all 48 minutes in a regular season game. Moreover, Hart has missed just one game this season.

With the Knicks aiming to at least reach the conference finals, getting contributions from Hart is a must for the team. He's a factor on both ends of the floor.

Josh Hart's regular season stats

Josh Hart’s minutes have significantly improved since February. The increase in minutes means that Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has started to trust him on the floor. His impact has been great for the Knicks. However, on the offensive end, that impact has been limited, except in distributing the ball.

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	3-PT FG%	FT%	MPG
Josh Hart	9.1	8.2	4.1	0.9	0.9	42.3	30.6	77.8	33.1

Josh Hart's playoff stats

Josh Hart doesn’t have much playoff experience. However, given how Tom Thibodeau has played him in the regular season, Hart is expected to get big minutes.

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	3-PT FG%	FT%	MPG
Josh Hart	10.4	7.4	2.2	0.8	0.3	47.9	31.3	63.6	32.1

Strengths and weaknesses

Perhaps the biggest impact Josh Hart has is in rebounding. The Knicks star is not a big man, but he certainly knows how to grab a rebound. Hart is also a great perimeter and on-ball defender. He has an underrated physical strength and uses his quick legs to contribute to the defense.

In terms of offense, Hart is a decent shooter from beyond the arc. He can make shots in big moments and can also score in the paint. In the Knicks' games since Jan. 30, Hart has averaged 5.7 assists, which speaks a lot about his ability to distribute the ball.

However, as impactful as Hart can be on defense, he can sometimes be a liability on offense. Since his minutes have escalated, he's shooting under 40% from the floor and just above 30% from the 3-point line.

Going into the playoffs, Hart might pose an offensive liability. Moreover, Hart doesn't have much playoff experience.

Impact, role and projected playoff minutes

Hart's role as a leader is rarely talked about. He is a strong locker room presence. He doesn’t shy away from calling out coaches and teammates, but he is also someone who doesn't shy away from taking a bullet for his team.

Although Hart has been in the starting lineup since the Knicks were saddled with injury concerns, he is the heart of the team's bench.

Hart's minutes are expected to increase this postseason compared to last season. He's expected to play 35-40 minutes per game in the playoffs.