The New York Knicks bolstered their roster.
By acquiring four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, trading away Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. This move provides a temporary solution while Mitchell Robinson recovers from ankle surgery but leaves a gap at power forward. However, this situation may turn out to be beneficial, allowing coach Tom Thibodeau to fully utilize Josh Hart’s talents.
Additionally, the Knicks managed to stay competitive last season despite losing three starters—Randle, Anunoby, and Robinson—and significantly improved after Anunoby returned in March. Overall, New York posted a 21-15 record with Hart in the starting lineup.
Hart brought significant energy to the Knicks’ starting unit, showcasing his relentless motor by pushing the ball up the court quickly after grabbing defensive rebounds. While this aggressive pace sometimes puts teammates in tough spots, it ultimately puts pressure on opposing defenses, creating advantages. Additionally, Hart’s rebounding improved after he joined the starting lineup, surpassing Randle and Anunoby’s averages.
Imbition
However, Hart needs to improve his shooting to fully optimize the lineup. He made only 31% of his three-point attempts, often waiting for wide-open looks. With the addition of better shooters like Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, Hart’s impact on spacing should improve this season compared to 2023-24. He demonstrated his potential in the playoffs, hitting 43.5% of his threes against the 76ers and increasing his attempts to 6.2 per game.
This offseason, Hart has committed to enhancing his shooting with coach Mark Ramljak and was reportedly set to work with JJ Redick, which could further boost his performance. However, it’s uncertain if that collaboration occurred after Redick became the head coach of the Lakers in June.
Ultimately, it’s uncertain whether Thibodeau will keep Hart in the starting lineup or opt for a smaller setup with McBride as the fifth starter.
However, Hart has a compelling case to be part of the starting five at the start of the 2024-25 season.
Towns’ addition also opens up intriguing possibilities at center. The Knicks are expected to start the season with Towns in that role. Once Robinson returns, they can explore different configurations, such as having Towns play power forward alongside Robinson or bringing Robinson off the bench. Given Robinson’s injury history, the latter option may be more appealing for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
Playing Robinson and Towns together could be beneficial against larger opponents in the playoffs, as Towns spent much of last season at power forward alongside Rudy Gobert, making this setup familiar for him. Ultimately, Towns’ addition is more than just filling the center position; his playing style offers the Knicks greater flexibility. His presence should create more space for Hart, Anunoby, Bridges, McBride, and Jalen Brunson to operate, which is advantageous. However, the true effectiveness of this lineup will be revealed as the season progresses.
