Knicks' Josh Hart Credits Mike Brown for Major Change

Josh Hart's new status with the Mike Brown-led New York Knicks was the sort of storyline that looked like it should have been put to bed upon the new coach's rotational vision, but the cloudiness surrounding the veteran's acceptance of his role hung in the air up until quite recently.

After spending years with the organization in solidifying his persona as a 48-minute player, Hart's long-held position in the starting five was thrown into question over a summer of dramatic change.

Brown's predecessor, Tom Thibodeau, always believed in Hart, demonstrated in the league-leading 37.6 minutes per game he deployed him for just last year, but even he had to reckon with Hart's limitations when the going got tough. The slipping defensive impact and shrug-worthy shot combined to force Thibodeau's hand into a last-second benching well into the Knicks' Eastern Conference Finals bout, and that final adjustment rang in the fans' ears all offseason.

Former New York Knicks Coach Tom Thibodeau and New York Knicks Guard Josh Hart — Dec 5, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau talks with New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) on the sideline against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Brown, though, had to see Hart's impact on a day-to-day basis to grant the do-it-all wing with the leash he'd once been regularly left with. It took about a dozen games of entering from off of the bench and a serious meeting, but it would appear that the two parties have rediscovered what Thibodeau once saw in his prized piece.

Signs of Discomfort

Hart's time away from the starting five was supposed to give Mitchell Robinson new opportunity as the true center alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, but that strategy didn't quite pay off as Brown imagined.

Robinson's extensive history with injuries and games missed suggested that he wouldn't be able to handle heavy minutes, and that's just what came to pass as he was quickly considered too battered to start on a routine basis. Towns' emergence as an improved defender only further encouraged Brown to use Robinson as a part-time anchor, but that left Hart floating in air.

He was coming off of the bench with Robinson at this point, and his grumbling caught everybody's attention. It hadn't helped that he wasn't playing particularly well; as he'd later confess to ESPN's Vincent Goodwill, "a couple times I felt like I was going to snap."

New York Knicks Guard Josh Hart — Dec 13, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reaches of the rebound as Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva (23) looks on during a game at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

He and Brown eventually engaged in a heart-to-heart, where the coach realized that he had to make time for the sort of player who couldn't just show up off of the bench and slide into a role. Hart's at his best as an inescapable defensive irritant, a transition operator and, now, as an improved shooter.

"If you don't understand basketball, it's really hard to appreciate their games," Brown said entering the NBA Cup semi-finals. "Sometimes you look at them [and say], 'He can't do this, he can't do that.' It's the opposite. Josh can do everything. There's some things that he does that are elite."

After cracking the 30-minute mark just 14 times in his 14 games as a reserve option, he's failed to hit that mark just once in 11 consecutive games back in the starting five, thanks in large part to the 9.2 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 16 points he's averaged on 54% from the field and 41% from deep over that span.

Mere weeks after calling a meeting with the veteran, Brown appears to have tapped right back into the soul of the Knicks.

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