Josh Hart: 'New York Style' Donte DiVincenzo is 'What Knicks Needed'
The New York Knicks signed former Golden State Warriors shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo on a four-year deal worth $50 million on July 1, hoping to make improvements on both sides of the floor.
DiVincenzo has earned a ton of praise since putting the pen to paper, but his most recent shoutout comes from Knicks small forward Josh Hart, who previously claimed to have personally recruited his fellow Villanova alum to the New York cause.
“He’s a New York style player," Hart said during Team USA's FIBA World Cup practice in Las Vegas, per SNY's Ian Begley. "That blue-collar, hard work thing – that’s what he does."
Hart also broke down how DiVincenzo could make the Knicks more of a threat in the Eastern Conference after placing fifth last season.
“He’s going to go defend multiple positions, be tough, be gritty, help us win games," Hart said. "New York is going to love him. He’s definitely a guy that we needed, that we wanted and happy we got.”
DiVincenzo's ability to pick up steals (97 times last season, 15th in the NBA), shoot (36.2 percent from downtown), and move without the ball are all key assets that the Knicks covet as they seek further gains up the Eastern Conference leaderboard.
Hart's admiration for his new teammate stems from when he and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson played college basketball with DiVincenzo at Villanova. The trio won a national title in 2016 before Hart went to the NBA a year later. Brunson and DiVincenzo earned another one a year later, the latter earning both the Big East's Sixth Man of the Year Award and the Most Outstanding Player honor at the Final Four. DiVincenzo's 31 points in the final win over Michigan set a national semifinal/championship record for a player coming off the bench.
DiVincenzo is expected to come off the Knicks bench alongside Hart. Reuniting with his Villanova teammates could be the prelude to a career-best season.
You can follow Hunter De Siver on Twitter @HunterDeSiver.
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