Knicks’ Josh Hart finds an offensive groove after preseason concerns

Any lingering concern about Josh Hart’s preseason — when he scored just two total points and said he felt “lost” on offense — was all but gone by the time he stood in the Knicks’ locker room after their win Friday and tilted his head between questions. to catch a glimpse of the World Series game and joked about his earlier comment.

“Just having fun with y’all, man,” Hart, who scored 20 points against the Pacers in the Knicks’ 123-98 home opener win. “I knew I would be solid. It was preseason. I have a good feeling for everyone. I think we’re all really getting into a rhythm offensively and, more importantly, defensively, playing with each other, seeing where everyone likes the ball and things like that. I’m doing well.”

So that eliminates a Knicks concern for now.

Last season, Hart didn’t record his first double-double until December 20, and he didn’t score 20 points until February 8.

But against the Pacers, Hart collected his points on 15 attempts – nine more shots than he made in the entire preseason – and four free throws, while adding 10 rebounds, three assists and a steal.

It followed a season opener against the Celtics when Hart had 12 points and four rebounds, though he said Friday he “felt like I didn’t deliver it defensively or with energy.”

That changed in the first quarter, when Hart helped turn a broken play into a Karl-Anthony Towns dunk by tapping the ball to Mikal Bridges after Indiana’s Andrew Nembhard tried to keep the ball from going out of bounds.

That allowed Bridges to grab possession at the corner and push it toward the basket.

And when the Pacers’ extra help came along, Towns was left alone on the right block.

Then in the opening minutes of the second frame, Hart collected a defensive rebound in traffic and pushed the ball the length of the court for a transition layup.

Those were the contributions the Knicks grew accustomed to after acquiring Hart before the 2023 deadline, the plays that made him an indispensable — and versatile — lineup piece over the last two playoff runs, even as some players called for him changed.

Hart’s tone in preseason suggested something had gone wrong.

Last November he expressed a similar sentiment, saying he didn’t feel “included” in the offense, but this time he had even floated the idea of ​​joining the second unit and giving someone else a look in his place .

Jalen Brunson took responsibility, blaming himself for the starting five, including a pair of newcomers in Bridges and Towns, not being on the same page.

But after Friday, Hart seems to have already made that a distant Knicks memory.

“He just talks to talk,” Brunson said jokingly. ‘He’s a person I don’t worry about at all. He just doesn’t know when to stop talking.’